////soft photo

[CM Prince]

Every time I summit a picture to BPN I am told it is soft, which is a nice way of saying out of focus.
I don't know where it is me or my equipment but any suggestion would be helpful.
I use the following cameras to take my pictures most of the time mounted on a tripod for bird pictures.
Nikon D70 with Nikon 18-105 mm DX lens
Nikon D90 with Nikon 70-300 mm AF-S lens
Nikon D90 with Sigma DG 50-500 mm lens
It's hard to believe all 3 cameras or lens would be out of focus. Since they are usually on a tripod it's hard to believe that they are moving or shaking.
What I am asking for is what could be causing all my pictures to be soft. I have summated pictures corrected in PS, LR and just plan raw pictures.
Every time I am told they are soft.
All suggestions will be appreciated

C M

[John Chardine]

Hi CM- for me an example would be useful. Post one as you would process it normally for BPN and a crop at 100% of the area around the focus point (unsharpened, no NR, no resampling, just the pixels) so that a really close look is allowed.

[nick clayton]

How much do you crop your images C M?

[PhilCook]

I think we all take soft images often, frustrating indeed, but it;s not meant to be easy every time. Generally myself and others only post the sharp photos and never the softer ones which may account a little for why you seem to think your images are always soft....not true CM:S3:. I did notice on a couple of images that were less than perfect people asked a question about how you took the image in hope to assist you, but you never responded so immediate help was not forthcoming.

Softening of images can be for a number of reasons, a lot of yours can be because of shooting in less than ideal light conditions like bright sky backdrops, but many of yours are really very good so don't be so hard on yourself. I really don't think it's so much the lens or camera but shooting technique

Just been having a look at your previous images posted, some are softish and some are very sharp as many comments indicate, some examples below.


this one is very good ? ......... http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/105156-Great-Kiskadee-in-RGV?highlight=

this one is cropped too much and shutter speed too slow to expect a sharp picture with some harsh sunlight on the bird ...... http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/104303-Pine-Warbler-at-GM-SP-MS?highlight=

this one too big a crop, light too bright etc ........ http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/100121-Singing-Scissor-Tailed-Flycatcher?highlight=

the comments given say it all ....... http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/91988-A-Real-Curved-bill-Thrasher?highlight=

again much too big a crop, as comments suggest ..... http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/90485-Large-Vermilion-Flycatcher-%28Pileated-Woodpecker%29?highlight=

again too big a crop, and comments given not answered ..... http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/107163-New-angle-to-Cardinal-female?highlight=

So from these few examples of your images I think it indicates it's not so much your camera gear but your technique, big crops and poor lighting conditions will never produce great images. The biggest factor in getting razor sharp images is to get very close to your subject...for example small birds at 500mm require you to get no further than approx. 15 to 20 feet { 5metres } from subject or it will rarely be sharp enough. Old saying applies...get close...and then get even closer, so just work on your stalking/hunting skills by what ever means necessary such as using bird hides, camo clothing etc etc, many of the images by others on here are captured using backyard baiting set ups and specially placed perches and images taken at very close range. Getting sharp/clear shots of wild birds on a forest hike makes it very difficult indeed, it's not meant to be easy...but not impossible with right techniques for getting close and use oof camera functions, use of a tripod as well as editing skill in a PS program...keep at it

[Grace Scalzo]

Hello CM, Phil took much time and gave you a great reply to your question. Pretty much sums it up. I'll add a couple things. I pull my images in using Lightroom. When I do my initial pass and come to an image that I think I like and that seems to look good is I zoom in. If there is "sortness"....anything short of being able to see just about each and every feather, I normally delete it. You mention that softness equtes to out of focus, which it does, but that can be caused by subect motion, not enought shutter speed, etc. If I were in your shoes, (and I was!) and you truly want to improve....keep on posting, but then study really hard. Read the critiques, try to understand them, and if you don't, ask more questions. Get stuff that Artie writes, read his blog, go on line and read more, really work hard on your technique and understanding of photograph and bird photography specifically, and it will come. Good luck.

[dankearl]

CM, I agree with the comments above.
I have enjoyed many of your photos as you get photo's of interesting subjects and attractive birds where you live.
I do think harsh light and large crops hurt many of them.
If you cannot get close, instead of big crops, try to make tasteful "small" birds in the frame photo's.
I enjoy photo's like those as much if not more than large in frame bird portraits.
Keep posting and most of all, enjoy this hobby and have fun with it.

Another thing, since you shoot Nikon, do you use NX2?
I think it is very good PP software for Nikon users.
It will retain in camera settings which is very convenient and is pretty simple, inexpensive, and easy to use processing
software for Nikon systems.
For instance, you can set a sharpness in camera setting and NX2 will retain that on the RAW image.
If you have good focus in camera, you should not have to do anything in PP to sharpen the image.
You can download and use it for 30 day trial.
Give it a try.

[James Shadle]

CM,
Are you using a tripod?
The images don't look out of focus, they look soft.
I noticed slow shutter speeds and large crops. Both can result in images that look soft.

Phil,
Thanks for posting links to examples.

[CM Prince]

Thanks to all for the good info. I have been at Lost Maples SP, TX for eight days with no wifi. Have taken lots of pictures, mabe one or two will look good.

Below is one with just a small crop, no other changes.

128872

Nikon D90, 500mm, iso 800,1/125 sec,f 6.3, tripod

What should be done to it?

Thanks again to all, for taken the time to help me with my pictures.

C M

[CM Prince]

I have Nikon ViewNX2 is that what you are talking about?

[jack williamson]

CM, in this image the focus looks to be on the leaves closest to the camera.

Jack

[John Chardine]

Hi CM- This image of a beautiful Summer Tanager is soft. I don't see any part of the image that is really sharp. Looking at the techs, 1/125s with a 500mm lens (assume non-VR unless mentioned) is really pushing it unless you use a tripod and have good long-lens technique. Notice I said AND- a tripod like you have used here does not guarantee sharp images.

It looks to me like the movement is horizontal. You could salvage an image like this for the web with extra sharpening but what you really want to be striving for is a sharp image out of the camera that you just need to "tweak" in post-processing.

[CM Prince]

This is a snipping picture of bird showing focus point in nikon viewnz2.

128883

This is picture before crop also.

C M

[John Chardine]

CM- I don't think focus is the issue here. As I mentioned, but maybe not clearly enough, I think in this particular image you have an issue with camera movement.

[Gerald Kelberg]

Hi CM,

What were your focus settings with this shot? The leaves behind the bird look sharper than the bird - did you have "focal point expansion" switched on for this shot? Perhaps the focus has picked up on the higher contrast leaves.

Have a look at this discussion: http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php/110838-What-is-going-on-with-my-7D-!

Hope this helps,

Gerald