Not as sharp as I would like (Page 3): Soft lighting will yield a soft photo where everything is muted. Next time (there’s always a next time) use a kiss of flash to give the subject...

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Soft lighting will yield a soft photo where everything is muted. Next time (there’s always a next time) use a kiss of flash to give the subject some sparkle.

srg

junglejim1949 wrote:

I am learning my R7 and was in search of something to shoot. Very cold and foggy this morning but I did find some color. The photo was softer than I wanted and would appreciate any suggestions. I hope I wasn't shaking due to the cold. I will increase shutter speed next go around and see if that helps.

Thank you,
Jim

Flowers can move in response to even an imperceptible breeze.

junglejim1949 Loc: Sacramento,CA

gvarner wrote:

Soft lighting will yield a soft photo where everything is muted. Next time (there’s always a next time) use a kiss of flash to give the subject some sparkle.

Good point

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

And if max sharpness is your goal, stay away from f16 - the diffraction will negatively affect your sharpness. I try to limit myself to f11 on full frame and f8 on a crop body like yours unless it’s absolutely necessary to go higher for DOF.

junglejim1949 Loc: Sacramento,CA

TriX wrote:

And if max sharpness is your goal, stay away from f16 - the diffraction will negatively affect your sharpness. I try to limit myself to f11 on full frame and f8 on a crop body like yours unless it’s absolutely necessary to go higher for DOF.

Good tip

TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

JohnH3 wrote:

We need a little more info such as aperture, shutter speed, lens (focal length), etc. Just looking, the front of the photo (middle of flower) is in focus and is sharp. The back of the photo gets soft. I suspect a depth of field issue. A longer focal length and wide open aperture can result in a very narrow depth of field.

Actually, the center is not in focus at all. Some of the anthers seem to be focused, but the rest of the center is not. You do need to stop down well below the F4 to have enough DO to include all of the flower. If there is a breeze, the 1/250 speed might also be a problem.

xt2 Loc: British Columbia, Canada

junglejim1949 wrote:

I am learning my R7 and was in search of something to shoot. Very cold and foggy this morning but I did find some color. The photo was softer than I wanted and would appreciate any suggestions. I hope I wasn't shaking due to the cold. I will increase shutter speed next go around and see if that helps.

Thank you,
Jim

User error I am afraid to say...

junglejim1949 Loc: Sacramento,CA

CHG_CANON wrote:

The issue(s) would not be resolved with a faster s... (show quote)

Much appreciated Paul. Thank you!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

junglejim1949 wrote:

Much appreciated Paul. Thank you!

Glad to help. Shooting flowers takes a lot of practice, and for me at least, a lot of luck. When looking at the results, I ask:

Did I get it in focus?
Did I focus where the eyes fall when viewing the image?
Is the depth of field appropriate for the composition?

This result is great for colors and positioning of the image components. You just have to take all the various ideas of the replies and see which, when applied correctly, yields a better result.

Dan' de Bourgogne

junglejim1949 wrote:

I am learning my R7 and was in search of something to shoot. Very cold and foggy this morning but I did find some color. The photo was softer than I wanted and would appreciate any suggestions. I hope I wasn't shaking due to the cold. I will increase shutter speed next go around and see if that helps.

Thank you,
Jim

As JohnH3 wrote...try again with a tight aperture f/11...f/16...and shorter focal lenght...
I would also recommend further more, to shot from tripod+2 sec delay shutter release

MikeT46 Loc: Hermantown,MN

Totally agree with David Martin .... focus looks great on stamen tips. Depth of field issue. Use narrower aperture, and raise ISO as necessary to have sufficiently fast shutter speed. Another choice, if you have enough pixels, back away a little and later crop the image pp. A fun part of photography is finding solution to challenges. Happy shooting.

Greg Biggs Loc: Billings, MT

Grahame wrote:

Image was taken at, 1/250s, f/4, ISO800, 70mm

Due to the shallow depth of focus with minimal subject areas within the focus plane it's difficult to really assess. The higher ISO also does not help evaluation either.

I have no doubt the f4 aperture is the reason it’s softer toward the back. F8mor even f11 would have been better. Is this a cropped Image ? It’s a pretty picture.

tcthome Loc: NJ

junglejim1949 wrote:

I was hoping to handhold but I guess I need the tripod.
Thanks for thevadvice bebop22

Tripod helps but should be doable handheld. You can try high speed shutter release mode with back button focus. Grab focus on the closest to you part of the flower & move in while holding the Back button focus & shutter down. F8-F14 leaning more torward f14 would help. Your camera have focus peaking?

junglejim1949 Loc: Sacramento,CA

CHG_CANON wrote:

Glad to help. Shooting flowers takes a lot of practice, and for me at least, a lot of luck. When looking at the results, I ask:

Did I get it in focus?
Did I focus where the eyes fall when viewing the image?
Is the depth of field appropriate for the composition?

This result is great for colors and positioning of the image components. You just have to take all the various ideas of the replies and see which, when applied correctly, yields a better result.

That I will and I will continue to practice. Thanks for your input as always.

Grahame Loc: Fiji

Something I do not see mentioned (apologies if missed) is that with close up/macro shooting where you know you are going to get a shallow DoF changing the angle of the camera to the subject can assist in getting a greater area in focus of the section you want most prominent.