first catalog shoot today - equine

Wow shooting catalogs is SO much easier than shooting large horse shows! I'm hooked. I shot the spring 2013 catalog for an equestrian clothing company today. I had REALLY harsh sun most of the day but the location had loads of great shade to work with.

Nice pic

I'm trying to figure this image out. It has fantastic light and color, and the horse is sharp. But the face and torso of the rider aren't sharp (and I assume she is on the same plane as the horse). I don't think its motion blur. Is the splash obscuring her face?

Don't get me wrong, it is a great shot, just not perfect.

dankopp wrote in post #14891389
I'm trying to figure this image out. It has fantastic light and color, and the horse is sharp. But the face and torso of the rider aren't sharp (and I assume she is on the same plane as the horse). I don't think its motion blur. Is the splash obscuring her face?

Don't get me wrong, it is a great shot, just not perfect.

I guess I don't see what you are talking about. Here is a tight crop of the rider, and considering how incredibly tight the crop is, I still think it looks plenty sharp. No?

Nice and sharp yes - you would never know this was shot in harsh light - colors look great!

Sorry, you are right--that crop is plenty sharp. Must be my eyes or my monitor.

I think the water over the face makes your eyes focus on it making the face look out of focus.

xchangx wrote in post #14893164
I think the water over the face makes your eyes focus on it making the face look out of focus.

I agree. But nonetheless, what a fantastic shot!! Beautifully done.

That is actually really neat, she definitely looks out of focus on the wide photo, but when cropped in she is in focus. I agree that the water seems to throw your eyes off and make them front focus.

What a great shot...Looks "fairy-tale-esque"...That out of focus illusion is mind boggling!

ajaffe wrote in post #14899888
That is actually really neat, she definitely looks out of focus on the wide photo, but when cropped in she is in focus. I agree that the water seems to throw your eyes off and make them front focus.

Whew. I'm glad other people saw the same thing.

I guess I'm in the minority. It looks OOF on the wide and crop shots to me. In the crop shot her face is not as sharp as the horses' mane or her pants leg. I've seen shots with water in front of a face and the face was in focus, so it's not that. Regardless of whether it looks sharp in the crop, they aren't going to use it cropped that tight and it's the wide shot that looks most OOF in the face.