YEARG! Foiled by F/2.0

Shot some pictures of my girlfriend putting her makeup on before our anniversary dinner this weekend. Wanted to get some cute shots. Decided the Nifty-50 was the lens of choice. Apparently I need more practice with it. I was foiled by f/2.0. I got her cheek in focus, but her eye is terribly OOF. Must remember DOF chart for nifty! :P

I really do like what I was going for in this shot. It's just too bad I blew it.

Sounds like your lens mis-focused - not the shallow DOF threw your shot off. Did you focus on her eye?

soften up the cheek and pretend its glamour...

I almost always shoot with flash indoors for the DOF reasons. I just don't like having eye in nose out, etc.

Hellashot wrote in post #2258276
Sounds like your lens mis-focused - not the shallow DOF threw your shot off. Did you focus on her eye?

Well take a look at a 100% crop of the cheek and eye:

cdi-ink.com wrote in post #2258277
soften up the cheek and pretend its glamour...

Funny, I was thinking pretty much the same thing

cdi-ink.com wrote in post #2258277
I almost always shoot with flash indoors for the DOF reasons. I just don't like having eye in nose out, etc.

Yeah I do too, but I was trying for some moody light. I didn't want to over power the lighting in the bathroom. Guess I coulda bounced the flash. Oh well, add that to the "lessons learned" list.

I try moody light every so often. It rarely works cuz I can't focus for snot or I don't get shutter speeds I need. lol.

Hellashot wrote in post #2258276
Did you focus on her eye?

Forgot to answer that...
No I didn't focus recompose. I should have. I was on center focus point and it's right on her cheek where the shot is the most in focus....

I really want to upgrade cameras so I can use the * button to focus. Separate metering and focusing. Oh well, can't always blame the equipment right? Gotta make due with what you have.

cdi-ink.com wrote in post #2258351
I try moody light every so often. It rarely works cuz I can't focus for snot or I don't get shutter speeds I need. lol.

Same here, but I try and try again for the practice, and sometimes I do get it right.

Focus-recompose would most likely have turned out even worse results than this. Working with narrow DOF almost dictates that you use the focus point right over the area you want in focus. Recomposing throws it off too much unless you're lucky.

cdi-ink.com wrote in post #2258362
Focus-recompose would most likely have turned out even worse results than this. Working with narrow DOF almost dictates that you use the focus point right over the area you want in focus. Recomposing throws it off too much unless you're lucky.

Hmm, true enough, I think I've had that happen too. Well upgrading would give me more focus points to select though. Gotta be nice having more than 7.

Hellashot wrote in post #2258276
Sounds like your lens mis-focused - not the shallow DOF threw your shot off. Did you focus on her eye?

That is what I have learned here on POTN, focus on the eye that is closes to you. Then recompose the shot if needed. I used to just focus on the face, anywhere. I've learned on POTN that its the eyes that need to be infocus to make a good shot.

BTW: Did she get mad at you for posting her... uummm... prep time to be scrutinized?

pagefile wrote in post #2258380
That is what I have learned here on POTN, focus on the eye that is closes to you. Then recompose the shot if needed. I used to just focus on the face, anywhere. I've learned on POTN that its the eyes that need to be infocus to make a good shot.

BTW: Did she get mad at you for posting her... uummm... prep time to be scrutinized?

Yes I know it's important to have eyes in focus. The issue being not always being able to get eyes on a focus point, and as cdi-ink.com mentioned. Not being able to focus recompose with narrow DOF.

aacmckay wrote in post #2258403
Yes I know it's important to have eyes in focus. The issue being not always being able to get eyes on a focus point, and as cdi-ink.com mentioned. Not being able to focus recompose with narrow DOF.

I was not taking a shot at you. I was stating what I have learned on POTN and that it now makes my images look much better.

pagefile wrote in post #2258671
I was not taking a shot at you. I was stating what I have learned on POTN and that it now makes my images look much better.

No problem. Sorry, didn't mean to come across like I as offended. I wasn't.

aacmckay wrote in post #2258689
No problem. Sorry, didn't mean to come across like I as offended. I wasn't.

Ok all is good there.

This is whats helping me. I dont know if this would have worked with out the uses of your flash.

I have found that if I set the dial to M then set exposure at 125 or 160 and set the aperture to 5.6. I am getting great shots, but that is with a flash.

Now if I was to do it without a flash, I would lower the exposure to maybe between 5 and 15.

I don't know if that will help you or not, hope it will some. You may know all this already.