Pretty Senior

[amithi]

I don't know if its just my camera (Canon PowerShot A410), but I find it hard to get really crisp pictures. Any advice?

[Chunk]

Well your title is spot on. A beautiful model who seems comfortable in front of the camera as well.
The top shot may be a bit over exposed, loosing detail in the highlights. I like the foreshortend composition but find the amputation of the foot to be uncomfortable. I think your camera is sharp enough, but it is focused on the near leg rather than on her face, which would have been a stronger shot. How do you have your auto focus set up? If you plan on using that good photgraphic eye you seem to have to take unconventional compositions, you will want to take closer control of your point of focus.
Very good work. I'm looking forward to seeing more of it.

[Didache]

I actually prefer the lower photograph .. it has the quality of being partially desaturated which I like. I endorse the comments of chuck about point of focus. Generally speaking the focus of any portrait should be on the eyes, or at least the face. There are exceptions but I don't think your swing picture is one of those. Also, I think in the swing picture the light areas are a little burnt out - perhaps a trifle over-exposed?

Having said that, you certainly have an attractive model and the pictures show a lot of promise. Snapshots they aren't!

Mike

[drg]

Your camera has a center focus option. Select an area on or near an eye of the subject, press the shutter release (after selecting center focus) halfway, recompose until the image looks like you want, and then make a picture! Canon's AiAf system is notorious for not always focusing on exactly where you need it. Center focus should give you sharper appearing images because you'll control what you show.

Portraits need the eyes in focus. That is about as close to a given as anything for portraiture. There are a few exceptions like everything. Humans look at each others eyes. So in this type of photography 'the eye catchs the eyes'. I have a hunch you know that already!

Hope this helps and am looking forward to more of you work.

[GB1]

Hello and welcome to PR boards. The pix are fine in most every respect there... composition, lighting, and your ability to relax the model (or maybe she's just a good model).

I do agree that they're not razor sharp. I have the exact same problem with my point-and-shoot Canon digital camera. I was careful to get a name brand like Canon figuring that their quality would be better, but I guess better is relative - it simply does not take sharp images, and very often the pix come out somewhat blurry, much worse than the slight lack of sharpness here. I dont know if it's the lens, image processing, whatever...

I guess nothing can really beat a good SLR!

gb

[freygr]

Put the camera into manual focus mode, and see if you can set the aperture. My old Olympus C-3030 has manual focus.

[jar_e]

I agree about the sharpness, but that's camera error not yours. Great shots though, a little overexposed in the first shot, but I still think it works.

Great job,

Jared

[amithi]

Thanks everybody! I think I understand most of the tips, terminology is a bit new to me. I'm guessing what everyone's saying is that the green box almost always needs to be on the face, so if I have to get close to set the focus, then back away to get the everything I want in the shot, it should still come out fine?

I read that if the eyes aren't clear, it makes people uncomfortable... I can see how that would be true.

Thanks again... I hope to get a chance to break away from school soon and take some more shots.

[Chunk]

Not quite. The focus has to be set at the position the picture is taken from.
Set your camera to use Center Focus.
Frame your shot.
Pivot your camera so the focus box is on the part of the subject that you want in best focus (the face in this case) and depress the shutter release 1/2 way (or press the focus lock button if your camera has one) and hold it.
Pivot your camera back to the original shot you framed and puss the shutter release the rest of the way.

[gahspidy]

Welcome to the forum. It looks like you have a good eye for composition . You have already recieved some great advice here and i agree with the focus on the eyes in the swing picture. I bought that camera for my daughter over the holidays and was very impressed by the quality of the images that came out of it. Very easy to use as well. Chunk is right about standing in place and compose your scene, then point to center of the veiwfinder to the place where you want focus on and hold the shutter halfway to lock it in. Then pivot back to form the composition again and shoot. It sounds like you understand the advice being offered here and I'm sure you will do well. We look forward to seeing more pictures from you.

[amithi]

Ohhhh, okay... I'm going to have to practice that then the next time I'm home. Thank y'all so much!