Hi everyone! I'm having issues with focus! None of my shots seem to be as sharp as I'd like - particularly in comparison with the shots I see here! I don't use a tripod because in the main I'm taking photos of playing children. I've tried different settings etc, but nothing seems to help.
Close down the aperture for a deeper DoF, especially if you are shooting multiple kids at different distances from the camera. I am not sure what lens you are shooting with, but if it doesn't have Image Stabilization (IS), most 35 or 50 primes don't, you will have to be rock steady for shots that are fairly close and not on a tripod.
Good shooting technique sounds a bit obsessive, but it really matters especially if your lens is not IS. Left hand fully supporting the lens from underneath, arms locked tightly to your body, feet apart about the width of your shoulders and one foot even a few inches in front of the other to give you a firm base hand-held. Exhale and hold before you shoot, and if you possibly can, listen or feel your heartbeat and shoot between beats. Just like a sharp shooter. Even better if you can support the camera and/or your elbows somehow, if not on a tripod at least on a wall, a table, or lean against a wall for support.
And you have the autofocus mastered I hope? Single area, is best for what you are shooting. Make sure you acquire focus positively (1/2 shutter press to hold) before you trip the shutter. If you care to, Live View with Face Detection Area Mode is an option with your 70D.
There is nothing magical, just a lot of practice.
In Photoshop you can try "smart sharpen" - it should help some too, but don't overdo the edges. Or if you do, go around them and clone out the glow against the dark and the black against the light.
@missalice There could be a variety of root causes; do you have a particular image as an example?
Edit: I didn't see Frank's post prior to my reply, he summarized well. When I looked through your album though, the possible root cause did seem to vary from image to image which is why I asked for a particular example in order to be most specific in response.
Although, one thing I wonder (and Frank mentioned this too) that might be consistent throughout is ensuring that you're getting a good focal lock (1/2 press shutter, wait for the 'in-focus' beep or light) on a correct focal point (child's face or whatever you want to be sure is in focus) and then taking the image. Is it possible you might be shooting too quickly before the camera gets a good lock?
Also, another thing: I really enjoy street photography and love my prime lenses (it appears you use them too!?) because they force me to move my feet which often reveals alternative compositions. Early on though, I would forget to refocus after moving a step. I would see something interesting, raise the camera, focus, then take another step or two toward or away from what I'm photographing while still having focus locked (shutter button half-pressed) then would take the shot. And you guessed it...the image would be out of focus. A step or two is enough to change the focus - particularly the closer you are to the subject(s) and the wider the aperture. If very close with a wide open aperture, even just leaning a little in or out will be enough to throw off focus. I had to get in the habit of checking and rechecking my focus before taking the shot.
@frankhymus Thank you for mentioning the IS factor in your reply. I had been wondering why once I started to use my 50mm my images were not quite as sharp as before when I'd been using a 18-55mm kit lens. I'd never occurred to me that IS might have been the answer. Lots of practice has helped since, even though there are still a few miles I need to walk ;)
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Good shooting technique sounds a bit obsessive, but it really matters especially if your lens is not IS. Left hand fully supporting the lens from underneath, arms locked tightly to your body, feet apart about the width of your shoulders and one foot even a few inches in front of the other to give you a firm base hand-held. Exhale and hold before you shoot, and if you possibly can, listen or feel your heartbeat and shoot between beats. Just like a sharp shooter. Even better if you can support the camera and/or your elbows somehow, if not on a tripod at least on a wall, a table, or lean against a wall for support.
And you have the autofocus mastered I hope? Single area, is best for what you are shooting. Make sure you acquire focus positively (1/2 shutter press to hold) before you trip the shutter. If you care to, Live View with Face Detection Area Mode is an option with your 70D.
There is nothing magical, just a lot of practice.
In Photoshop you can try "smart sharpen" - it should help some too, but don't overdo the edges. Or if you do, go around them and clone out the glow against the dark and the black against the light.
Good luck!
Edit: I didn't see Frank's post prior to my reply, he summarized well. When I looked through your album though, the possible root cause did seem to vary from image to image which is why I asked for a particular example in order to be most specific in response.
Although, one thing I wonder (and Frank mentioned this too) that might be consistent throughout is ensuring that you're getting a good focal lock (1/2 press shutter, wait for the 'in-focus' beep or light) on a correct focal point (child's face or whatever you want to be sure is in focus) and then taking the image. Is it possible you might be shooting too quickly before the camera gets a good lock?
Also, another thing: I really enjoy street photography and love my prime lenses (it appears you use them too!?) because they force me to move my feet which often reveals alternative compositions. Early on though, I would forget to refocus after moving a step. I would see something interesting, raise the camera, focus, then take another step or two toward or away from what I'm photographing while still having focus locked (shutter button half-pressed) then would take the shot. And you guessed it...the image would be out of focus. A step or two is enough to change the focus - particularly the closer you are to the subject(s) and the wider the aperture. If very close with a wide open aperture, even just leaning a little in or out will be enough to throw off focus. I had to get in the habit of checking and rechecking my focus before taking the shot.
I've never really used the live view as I like to look through the view finder!
I'm thinking maybe widening the aperture is a good option, and being conscious of my movement after focus lock.
Thank you for your helpful replies :)