My first attempt at using my new Hoya Variable ND Filter. Had to wedge the camera in a rock as i didnt want to spend too much time in my spot in case a rogue wave came in. 13sec shutter. This was edited as a jpeg on LR on my mobile phone. Looking forward to getting it onto my laptop. Missed the composition by not having the island have some water around it to the right side. The rock cleft i used to pin the camera was not as flexible as a tripod :-)

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Sign edit is spot on...
Good capture from the OP ...

These are good...

You look like a composite since you were darker than the background AND there is no rim lighting to seperate you from the background.
Similar effect as using on-camera flash (only in reverse...subject is lighter than background but no side/back lighting to give you some dimensionality.....

Looks like you were in the shade....which is OK since you avoid the "Monster eyes" from overhead bright sun but the negative is you will get the "poster" look.
(I will take the poster look over the monster eyes if I have a choice)

To fix both, requires off camera HSS flash with triggers...OR...(less expensively and without 18 hrs of youtube work) ....try to find a spot that reflects light onto your side or back that will give you a "rim light" around your hair/body...

Here is an example....on-camera flash on a tripod. My wife and I look like we were photo-shopped into this picture. Great exposure on the background and good exposure on us. NO SIDE LIGHTING (other than a little shadow effect in the lower right...which gives some depth)

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I think the main area to look at is
Single shot AF and spot focus on your wife before you enter the scene. 1/160 is more than enough SS to create sharp photo...even hand held....55mm should be enough length @F8 to have everything in focus. You could try f10 f12 if you are not sure. I think the only thing is making sure you spot focus on your subject and keep enough distance between the camera and the main subject (you 2) ...in order to not blow out the background...otherwise, it may be your lens.
...but I would try even manually focusing on your wife to be sure its not a wonky AF issue. (Google some videos in liveview focusing and zooming to check focus in liveview if you really want to learn something new :-)
Your 70D is a very capable camera and has most of the features of a pro body...

Best advice. As long as low light and perfect IQ is not a priority. 2 lenses will do and 1 will likely be the only 1 you use....travel light/ focus on wife. :-)

Get a monopod and practice low shutter speed shooting at long focal lengths. Your technique will play as big a role as the equipment selection combinations you noted. Breathing, squeezing the shutter, shooting between heartbeats .....removal of hood when there is wind to reduce wind pushing on the lens...etc etc...

Learn to be a sniper :-)

Test the 300 x 1.4tc vs 150- 500 and you decide.
A prime 300 2.8 (even on a 1.4tc) will likely trump the 150-500 for IQ.
....just check the AF performance before you go...

(And I would bring the 150-500 if you have room anyway....just in case :-)

Mines a Kasemann nano mrc i think. Not low budget but not the 400 ones either. Not sure if it messes with sharpness or focus sometimes....need to do a controlled experiment one of these days.....

I have the 16-35F4Lis.
Great lens. No interest in going to the 2.8
Also have the 24-70F4....and I WILL be going to the 2.8 .

Too completely different use cases. Need the 2.8 for the bokeh and shooting motion in low light. 16-35 is rarely used when there is motion so f4 with the IS is perfect....and the IQ is better than the 2.8

Anything under 35mm distorts. I try to back up and shoot at 35mm min.

....and yes....I have used the 16-35 when backing up means busting down a wall but I never like the results when people are involved edge to edge.

11mm and fish eyes should be used for effect photography and not for people unless they are in the center of the frame and at waist height.

Would rather do a pano than use a a wide angle for landscapes also for same distortion reasons. (Assuming it is not windy :-)

Shot in Jamaica and currently in Thailand. Cant escape the dew point transition....44degc humidex. Best plan is to put in plastic bags and suck the air out with a straw and seal. Set them on the balcony for 20minutes and you are good to go.

Of course I forgot to do this both times including the current trip .... i just set them on the balcony with lens caps on and wait. They do get wet on the outside but weather sealed body and lens should be OK as there is not enough native mositure in the lens or camera to form a liquid.

Btw.. shooting Alpine Ski races in Collingwood ontario Canada. Come in from the race to the chalet ... same problem....same solution too.

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-536732-1.html
...posted this yesterday...example of why you cannot fix in LR/PS ... blown highlights cannot bbe recovered.

I suppose if you wanted to go pixel by pixel you could fix it but it would take about 12 years.

Hmm. You may be right. If you zoom in to the other contrasty petal transitions you see it there also....just not as pronounced.
It appears to be "green fringing". I think it is more pronounced the greater the contrast transition and generally worse in the mid-transition to " out of focus.". Not sharply focused but not quite blurred yet.

It is there in both focused and fully out of focus just not as noticable.....

Might be your filter or lens. I get the same thing when I use my CPL....and its not a cheap CPL either. It shows up when the filter/lens has an item in the photo that has a contrast area at the exact focal distance where the light fails to converge properly onto the sensor. I am COMPLETELY guessing here and I am sure there is a better explanation. Could it be is at the exact location of the beginning of the most evident background blur beginning and you just got unlucky that it happens to fall on a high cintrast area (light petal with dark background)

I notice you dont see it in other contrast areas and there is no camera shake evident...

Do you get this with other lens/filter combos? Did you try this shot at different aperatures/focal lengths....seen it before in your photos?

...nuff said...

(Ok i cheated a little...one shot was taken a little earlier in the day with my 5dmiv on a 50mm. Came back later with my 70D with a 70-200 and CPL mounted....but you get the idea....)

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Would take you up on it but in Canada. ...have to resort to local Kijiji and take my chances...