Get bright and sharp eyes

[LBL2009]

I wonder whether it is possible to get bright and sharp eyes with auto focus when the focal bracket in the viewfinder covers a large part of subject body. Most pictures I took do not show bright and sharpness in the eyes of the subject.

I am using D40 with kit lens. This pic was shot with a 55-200mm VR kit lens set to 145mm. Settings is Aperture priority, f 8.0, 1/160, ISO200, focus area: Single, metering: center-weight.

The eyes of the boy is not as sharp and bright as what I like it. Is it the camera, the lens, or the focusing problem?

[Rashkae]

It's a lighting problem. It's cloudy, the kid's eyes are in the shade, and there's no lightsource to add the bright, sharp sparkle.

You could use some photoshop to tweak it, but then it'll look very fake.

[lsisaxon]

Originally Posted by Rashkae It's a lighting problem. It's cloudy, the kid's eyes are in the shade, and there's no lightsource to add the bright, sharp sparkle. You could use some photoshop to tweak it, but then it'll look very fake.

Use a -1EV fill flash.

[Rashkae]

Originally Posted by lsisaxon Use a -1EV fill flash.

That would be one option during the shoot, yup.

[pinholecam]

The rails and the right hand of the boy on the right seem to be sharper then the boy's heads. So likely the focus is off.

For the eyes to have catchlights, you can try a flash for fill, but I'm not sure of it. The boys are looking downward.

[LBL2009]

Originally Posted by Rashkae It's a lighting problem. It's cloudy, the kid's eyes are in the shade, and there's no lightsource to add the bright, sharp sparkle. You could use some photoshop to tweak it, but then it'll look very fake.

Yes. It was a cloudy day. I like this picture but it looks flat. What a waste.

Originally Posted by lsisaxon Use a -1EV fill flash.

Thanks, learn something.

Originally Posted by pinholecam The rails and the right hand of the boy on the right seem to be sharper then the boy's heads. So likely the focus is off. For the eyes to have catchlights, you can try a flash for fill, but I'm not sure of it. The boys are looking downward.

Yes. It appears that the focus was on the boy on the right. I didn't notice it. Couldn't remember where I put my focus on when both of them were moving.

[miaoteh]

Originally Posted by pinholecam The rails and the right hand of the boy on the right seem to be sharper then the boy's heads. So likely the focus is off. For the eyes to have catchlights, you can try a flash for fill, but I'm not sure of it. The boys are looking downward.

dun think the focus is off leh, just checked the exif, TS was using F8 and 1/160 shutter, and the boys were about 7 meters away, the DOF should be around 1 meter?

the slight blur of head can be due to motion blur, just like the left hand of the boy on the left, were both of them moving very fast?

[LBL2009]

Originally Posted by miaoteh dun think the focus is off leh, just checked the exif, TS was using F8 and 1/160 shutter, and the boys were about 7 meters away, the DOF should be around 1 meter? the slight blur of head can be due to motion blur, just like the left hand of the boy on the left, were both of them moving very fast?

They were climbing while trying to keep their balance. Not moving very fast.

How do you tell they are 7 meters away? I think they are around this distance from me if I recall.

[miaoteh]

Originally Posted by LBL2009 They were climbing while trying to keep their balance. Not moving very fast. How do you tell they are 7 meters away? I think they are around this distance from me if I recall.

i just copied it directly from the online exif viewer here --> exif

all type D and G lenses will send distance info to the camera.

[LBL2009]

Thanks a lot.

All along I thought the metadata in the Nikon ViewNX has shown us all the information.

I didn't know more data are in the Exif file and that I have to use 3rd party viewer to read the complete information.