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B&W-Does this work at all?
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Jan 8, 2019 12:05:03   #
mcmama
 
Nikon D750 24-120mm

Although I like the feel of the photo, I can’t seem to find a sharp focal point. I shoot manually, although I do use BBF.

Suggestions for future shots similar to this will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dana


(Download)

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Jan 8, 2019 12:12:12   #
PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago
 
mcmama wrote:
Nikon D750 24-120mm

Although I like the feel of the photo, I can’t seem to find a sharp focal point. I shoot manually, although I do use BBF.

Suggestions for future shots similar to this will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dana
Dana, Use a focus point of approximately 1/3 the distance down the subject and F16, you should be good to go.

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Jan 8, 2019 12:13:43   #
mcmama
 
PixelStan77 wrote:
Dana, Use a focus point of approximately 1/3 the distance down the subject and F16, you should be good to go.


Thank you! I’ll try it again later using your suggestions.

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Jan 8, 2019 12:16:22   #
Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington
 
I find myself blinking to try to bring focus to the closest pieces, so in that regard the image is not a success IMO. Perhaps the shiny deep black confused auto focus? Or you were too close if you were attempting to focus on the nearest pieces.

Another factor - I can't tell how far away you were from closest elements; however, this depth of field calculator will help you determine if your aperture was too wide. Do you recall why you used f/5.6?

I think the subject lends itself very well to b&w; unfortunately, the background is too busy in that light.

(edit - Stan posted while I was typing. I will leave the comments about dof as-is, but do consider the background and the lighting when you re-shoot.)

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Jan 8, 2019 12:24:37   #
pesfls Loc: Oregon, USA
 
Hopefully not off your question topic, but your frustration is much of why I like lenses that have a dof scale. If you have such a lens you might try using that method to match your focus point and aperature to achieve what you’re after. Good luck experimenting

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Jan 8, 2019 12:29:52   #
AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire
 
I like the concept, but agree with Linda's analysis. It's a strong subject and a good effort, but it lacks a strong focus (pun intended). When I see a scene like that, I immediately want to capture the feeling and pattern, but there may not be a clear path or visualization of how to do it.

A couple of approaches I might try....

1) Get down low with an ultrawide lens at small aperture and crop into a vertical picture emphasizing depth of field. Or a landscape view that emphasized the pavers on both sides. A low position would also foreshorten the building in the background.

2) Back off, and shoot with a long lens and large aperture to see the bollards sharp in the foreground while gradually receding into the background and becoming part of the bokeh. The building would largely disappear into it too using this approach.

I've tried to muck about with this sort of strong, linear parade before. Somewhere I have a similar shot taken with the second approach. I'm pretty sure it's a film era shot, but I'll see if I can find a print.

Andy

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Jan 8, 2019 12:56:09   #
Toment Loc: FL, IL
 
Good photo composition, interest subject, technically ok
Stop down to get depth of field
Thanks for sharing

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Jan 8, 2019 12:57:24   #
photogeneralist Loc: Lopez Island Washington State
 
My camera club has recently had assignments about a different type of focalpoint. I.E. A visual focal point where the eye is directed to in the photo. A center of interest, a subject (or a secondary focal point supporting the subject)
Regarding the visual focal point concept, I see two very strong leading lines leading to an out of frame vanishing point. What is missing, in my humble etc. etc. etc. is a subject (focal point) that the eye is being led towards. A person, an animal, a flag, a car, a shoe, a sculpture, anything would do!
Agree with Linda that the background is too busy and too much of an eye snag. She says it ever so much nicer kinder add softer though.

PS: Has anyone else noticed the chess pieces are placed on the lines between squares, thus occupying four squares each.

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Jan 8, 2019 13:40:44   #
speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho
 
mcmama wrote:
Nikon D750 24-120mm

Although I like the feel of the photo, I can’t seem to find a sharp focal point. I shoot manually, although I do use BBF.

Suggestions for future shots similar to this will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dana
Unless you want to isolate a single subject/object, you do not need a single focal point. You choose a large amount of DOF (pretty much everything in focus) over it, which I think works rather nice in this image

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Jan 8, 2019 14:12:59   #
srt101fan
 
mcmama wrote:
Nikon D750 24-120mm

Although I like the feel of the photo, I can’t seem to find a sharp focal point. I shoot manually, although I do use BBF.

Suggestions for future shots similar to this will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dana


I like the shot. I think I agree with Andy's second suggestion - sharp focus on the near pieces, progressively softer focus as you go towards the back.

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Jan 8, 2019 14:32:11   #
SonyA580 Loc: FL in the winter & MN in the summer
 
Suggestions for future shots similar to this will be appreciated.

The thing that keeps the shot from being really good is the background. As previously mentioned, shooting from another angle may be one solution. Or, shooting wide open, focusing on the nearest piece to deliberately blur focus at the far end of the shot and minimize the background distractions. Experiment!

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Jan 9, 2019 06:02:27   #
pdsdville Loc: Midlothian, Tx
 
Try the shot again taking multiple photos focused from front to back, then stack them in post processing.

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Jan 9, 2019 09:49:02   #
Stephan G
 
mcmama wrote:
Nikon D750 24-120mm

Although I like the feel of the photo, I can’t seem to find a sharp focal point. I shoot manually, although I do use BBF.

Suggestions for future shots similar to this will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dana


"Knight to G6..."

I think that a decision has to be made as to what is being viewed and how. If this were being viewed as a chess game in progress, it would need to have the focus directed towards the center of the board, IMO. (Black Queen's opening? ) If it is to set on a particular piece, then the focus goes there.

Another view would be to contrast the background with the line-up of chess pieces. This can be varied as to which aspect is desired to be the dominant one. In the shot there are several competing lines.

There is an architectural aspect to the row of men vs the wall at the end. Instead of the direct line, vertically, I would shoot at angles to the vanishing points. A repositioning of the horizon may improve the look.

The presentation, to me, is too busy in several directions, making it difficult to focus on a primary one. Try several crops to locate a major focus point.

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Jan 9, 2019 09:57:30   #
Stephan G
 
mcmama wrote:
Nikon D750 24-120mm

Although I like the feel of the photo, I can’t seem to find a sharp focal point. I shoot manually, although I do use BBF.

Suggestions for future shots similar to this will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dana


I just cropped away and up at the line where the buildings meet the ground and ended up with an interesting panorama of lines made by the shadows, the bases of the men, the lines of the blocks of the ground.

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Jan 9, 2019 10:39:44   #
mcmama
 
I’m hoping to go back today and reshoot using some of your suggestions. I might have to use my extremely huge muscles to move people off my shooting scene if they have the audacity to actually be playing chess with my subjects. 💪🏻

I won’t be able to post results until Friday when I return home from Scottsdale.

Thank you, everyone, for your valuable critiques and suggestions.

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