I always store my name-brand straps and attach a Domke. It's a better strap and doesn't scream, "Please steal my expensive camera!" A black felt tip marker hides the camera logo and is readily erased if I sell or trade the camera.
I've been looking for 50+ years and have owned dozens (hundreds?) of bags, looking for the perfect bag. I'm still looking! My only advice is K.I.S.S. For that reason, I always seem to end up with something very basic like my Domke F3.
I can't think of anyone who gained a better understanding of light, reflection, refraction, transmission, aperture, lenses, exposure, exposure adjustment, filters, shutter operation, color and/or color balance who became a WORSE photographer!
The photographer's best tools are her/his eyes, hands, mind and heart!
Sorry 'bout the sermon.
This is a hard shot to make without metering several components of the subject. My best advice: If you have it, use exposure bracketing, specifically 0, +1, +2.
By the way, I use a Sekonic incident/reflective meter, particularly with my 4X5's. I will spend 15 - 30 minutes metering fot one shot.
Pigpen, that's good thinking. There is a way though that the original questioner and others can learn to use the focus markings; it's called "modified scale focusing" and is achieved on lenses with DOF scales. Set your infinity mark at or slightly inside the "long" end of your DOF scale. There are a lot of articles on the subject, and I'll bet a lot of people on UHH can explain it better than I can.
I'm going to go out a limb and mention another often-overlooked problem. Once in a while a photographer will set up a shot like yours, set the lens manually to infinity or to the end of the focusing range. Many lenses will, at that point, be focused "beyond infinity" (no jokes about Buzz Lightyear) and the shot may be out of focus. Some say lenses don't do this, but the fact is that the markings on the barrel are not necessarily that accurate.
Set the momopod 12 - 18 inches in front of you. Lean it back and yourself slightly forward, with the camera canted forward, thereby using the monopod as the front leg of a tripod and your own legs as the rear two legs.
My first camera was an Argoflex, either a D or E model.
Just curious. Has anyone tried photographing bats? They are, in spite of the negative publicity, beautiful animals. I have a bunch of shots of swarms, but few close-ups.
No answer, just a couple of observastions. Note all locations refer to subject's position, not photographer's.
Draw an "X" from corner to corner. If the posted photo is uncropped, the center of the picture is near the hair by the left corner of the mouth. That should be the point of focus unless you changed the camera's focus point, but it is not the sharpest point in the picture.
Also, the bright object (roof?) behind top right of subject's head blows out detail. Could that be part of the problem?
BUT, I still think a little bit of cropping and level adjustment will result in a picture worthy of my soft-focus lens on an F4.
No answer, just a couple of observastions. Note all locations refer to subject's position, not photographer's.
Draw an "X" from corner to corner. If the posted photo is uncropped, the center of the picture is near the hair by the left corner of the mouth. That should be the point of focus unless you changed the camera's focus point, but it is not the sharpest point in the picture.
Also, the bright object (roof?) behind top right of subject's head blows out detail. Could that be part of the problem?
BUT, I still think a little bit of cropping and level adjustment will result in a picture worthy of my soft-focus lens on an F4.
OK, it's a bit out of focus. I have a very expensive lens for one of my old Nikons that does the same thing ON PURPOSE; it's called "soft focus." Crop the picture and enjoy a lovely portrait!
Add being able to concentrate on composition (and, if you have it, DOF preview).
B. 20D, but it's like an old friend