BruceT4891

I am trying to take a picture of Queen Anne’s Lace and all the pictures are out of focus. This is on of the better pictures. It doesn’t look too bad until I enlarge it. The camera says it has the focus. I thought f8 would be enough depth of field. I am using a Nikon D750 with a Nikon 24-120 lens. Pictures of other objects are fine, so I don’t think it is a problem with the camera.

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jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

That can be frustrating. Try using manual focus on one specific spot. It doesn't look like camera shake, but make sure your shutter speed is high enough.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Shutter was 1/250.
Was the lace moving in the wind?
Was it hand held? Possible camera movement down and to the left?
Tripod?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

This is a demanding situation for hand-holding and a close focus on a subject. A tripod would be the most effective tool to employ, taking your inability to hold perfectly still out of the equation. Your aperture selection and shutter speed seem fine. The VR should be active, but that isn't something I can see in the EXIF. The focus point and focusing mode don't come through either from whatever software was used to create the "jpeg" from the original version of the image from this Nikon camera.

Consider ideas in the linked post, below. Looking at the shape of the flower, I'd consider a single AF point about 2 o'clock in the very center white area, 2 o'clock relative to that black center. I'd have the camera in AF-C (aka continuous) and I'd take several bursts of images when the focus seemed locked. I'd repeat a few times, getting 10+ images when done. This approach is based on my own experiences at the flower moving slightly, or me moving slightly, even with VR support in the lens and / or a tripod. The goal is to get one 'great'. I can trash all those later that don't meet inspection.

The link: How to obtain sharp images in digital photography

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

If you can't use a tripod consider a high ISO to get a faster speed.

BruceT4891

The flower was moving in the wind. But I tried a faster shutter speed and holding the flower, same result.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

I think that sensors have a problem with subjects like this when the whole subject has a lot of detail but not much contrast. The even lighting is the problem. Side lighting for subjects like this may be a better option to create shadow and depth among the petals. I can’t describe the phenomenon any better than to say it’s like trying to get sharp focus on a hazy sky with no clouds. One could try a tripod setup and take a focus on something with good contrast held in the part of the image you want to be in sharpest focus but I think contrasty lighting would work better.

Drip Dry McFleye

CHG_CANON pretty well covered all the important points. I would add one thing that I have had good success with: I often use live view, then use the camera's buttons to zoom in and enlarge the image. Then I manually focus to get the parts I most want sharp. I also use either the camera's built in delayed release or a remote shutter release cable.

Rick from NY Loc: Sarasota FL

I never go out on flower shoots without this item. Invaluable and reasonably priced

https://www.tripodhead.com/products/plamp-main.cfm

BruceT4891

Good ideas. I will try them.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

Have you calibrated your lens to the camera?

bwa

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

There is some purple fringing (chromatic aberration) that is commonly seen with zoom lenses. It can be reduced by stopping down some more. Although it shows up on the edges it can affect the sharpness of the entire image. It's worse at the extreme ends of the zoom range but it might not be much better in the middle of the range.

Another possibility is that, even though the camera said it was in focus, you were simply too close to the flower. A zoom lens is not as sharp close up as a prime lens, especially if it's not deliberately designed for close up work.

Then there is the sharpness of the lens itself. Depending on which 24-120 zoom you are using, it looks like the sharpness is worst at 85mm.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Wow! That looks cruel. Is that allowed in all fifty states?

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Neat. Pretty much like a mini portable outdoor studio. I rigged up a 6' stake with a piece of rebar glued into the end to stab in the ground then mount my speedlight with a Gorilla Pod to it. Works pretty well out in the woods where there’s lots of brush and fairly poor light.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Are the other objects the same distance. Did you zoom to 120, and get to close. If you are minimum focus distance the camera will focus and if you move forward very slightly, no focus, or bad focus. Remember, long lens, shallower depth of field.

Try the app, hyper focal pro. Play with it to get the best focus with lens and aperture, and distance to subject.

Chg_canon has a great article, posted in his response.