Serengeti Lion (and some help please)

[waynehammond]

This is my first post on this (or any other) photography site and I'm hoping you can help a newbie with an issue that is bugging me. I'm a learner wildlife photographer who is finding it hard to get regularly sharp pictures. Plenty of my pictures suffer from poor composition and exposure but I am ok with as I hope that that will improve in time and I sort of know what I need to do I just don't do it in that split second heat of the moment opportunity when it comes along.

But the fact that a decent percentage of my pictures are a bit soft, while other are not, is really bugging me because I can't quite work out why. Attached is an example of a picture I think is soft. It was taken in the Serengeti Tanzania earlier this year.

It is a JPEG straight out of the camera, was taken with a Canon 7D with a 70-300mm IS lens, rested on a beanbag (IS off) at F6.3, ISO 400 and 1/640. This example is not untypical of my pictures in being a bit soft.

Others I take - and I'll post one tomorrow to show what I mean - is much sharper (or at least sharp enough for me) even though the shutter speed is slower, DoF narrower and ISO higher, and has not been sharpened in PP. Basically, I think there is a weakness in my technique that kicks in some of the time that I am hoping you guys can help me find.

Your help very much appreciated.

[Lance Peters]

Hi - big warm welcome to BPN - Nice first post.

Interesting question you have raised and a difficult one to pinpoint - the lens you are using is not a extreme telephoto so technique whilst required is not as important as say a 600mm. All digital images require sharpening - just the nature of the beast. This does look a little soft but certainly salvageable.

Have sharpened just a little more.

Shot from a beanbag? In vehicle? --- Was the engine turned off??

[waynehammond]

Hi,

Thanks for the response.

The engine was certainly off.

The sharpened version is much better and one I would be happy with. I guess my main concern is that I know I get sharper pictures than the one I put up some of the time (with similar are even more challenging camera settings) , and I want to learn the technique to get that level of better sharpness more consistently, through technigue rather than PP.

Thanks again for responding - I'm on a learning curve and need help!

[Lance Peters]

Hi,

Thanks for the response.

The engine was certainly off.

The sharpened version is much better and one I would be happy with. I guess my main concern is that I know I get sharper pictures than the one I put up some of the time (with similar are even more challenging camera settings) , and I want to learn the technique to get that level of better sharpness more consistently, through technigue rather than PP.

Thanks again for responding - I'm on a learning curve and need help!

Understood - but do realise ALL images pretty much are going to need some sharpening after the fact.
Where to start?? OK - Basic rule of thumb is that your shutter speed should be 1 over the focal length as a minimum to ensure a image is sharp - so 300mm 1/300th - Have that easily here so would not appear to be the cause.
doesnt look like camera shake either.
Might be worth having a look in the educational resources forum for articles on the 7D or in the Photography gear forum - Artie also has a 7D users guide that would be excellent - Im a nikon man - reason I am saying go this route is it could be how your AF is set up.

What AF were you using?? Can you check and see were the point of focus was for this picture (Nikon View allows you to do this for Nikon images - not sure how to do with Canon)
Also might be worth testing the lens to see if it is back or front focussing a little.

[Tom Redd]

Good questions Wayne, I am there with you and will look forward to the responses in the thread. Beautiful light and pose/setting.

[William Malacarne]

Where to start?? OK - Basic rule of thumb is that your shutter speed should be 1 over the focal length as a minimum to ensure a image is sharp - so 300mm 1/300th - Have that easily here so would not appear to be the cause.

In reference about shutter speed Roger Clark wrote this in the following post.

http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...ad.php?t=66126

Alfred, I agree. And a complex formula won't be remembered nor used. I guess people should use the 1/FL guide and make the exposure time a little faster if their camera has small pixels (e.g. 2x faster for the 7D; 1.5x faster for a 1DIV), then adjust from there depending on personal ability.

Hope this is of some help.
Bill

[Rachel Hollander]

Wayne - to view the AF point used in DPP (Canon's software) go into the pull down menu under "View" and there is an item for "AF point." You can also get to it through the Quick View Tool and there is a box to check to see the AF point. Welcome to BPN and you'll receive great advice. I know I've learned a lot in my short time on here.

TFS,
Rachel

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Wayne

Big Warm Welcome and gale you decided to mix it in and post !!!!

Great comments and agree with all points !! .. thanks for the link Bill !

Noticed you are not shooting RAW? .. would suggest to start and images might even come out softer since they are not finished, jpeg have processing in camera including sharpening.

Sharpening wise you could just get PK sharpening which will give you just about perfect results with little learning curve then start learning how to sharpen on your own. Manually do go way over in the sharpening but do so in a layer so you can back down to the point it looks good. Making large changes is about the only way to see what is going on and learn.

btw the image looks plenty good after it was reworked by Lance !!! ... composition wise just look at lots of images and comment ... best way to learn since you will need to be paying attention. ... which af point were you using? ... for static you could use one shot and re compose but I like moving the points around and keeping in AI in case there is action !! Looking forward to the next one !!

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Wayne You can post the second tomorrow but can only post one per day. Re post of same are fine !!!

[waynehammond]

Hi,

Thanks for the words of encouragement!

I attach another picture which I think is sharper, and that I'm happy with. This one was taken with the same gear but at F5.6, 1/180 and ISO 1600. It was handheld with IS on. I guess one reason I'm confused is that these settings should have made it more challening to get a sharp picture compared to the Lion picture (slower s. speed, higher ISO, slightly shallower DofF, handheld) and yet it proved not the case

I was using Spot focus using the centre focus point and focus/recompose on both shots

Lance - You said it didn't look like camera shake - how do you make assessments like that as I've seen it written before and I've not idea what you look for in a (soft) picture to be able to make that assessment?

Thanks again for your inputs.

Wayne

[Dave Mills]

Hi Wayne, I know very little about Canon( I'm a Nikon shooter) but after seeing how Lance was able to sharpen the image I have a feeling this might lie in the way your camera is processing the image.
The sharpened version is fine...

[Lance Peters]

Hi - This does look a little better - think it still could benefit from a little more sharpening.
A little like this perhaps.

As AL mentioned you are not shooting in Raw - so in camera settings are being applied - you are not changing the sharpening settings applied to the JPG'S??