When is a photo too sharp?
Are your photos always sharp? Are they too sharp?
Saw this, and thought it was interesting:
https://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2019/09/open-mike-sharper-does-not-equal-better.html
Remember when photos were out of focus, or soft, and that was fine?
It seems we've all become obsessed with ultimate sharpness (particularly reviewing cameras and lenses!)
Josh
Saw this, and thought it was interesting:
https://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2019/09/open-mike-sharper-does-not-equal-better.html
Remember when photos were out of focus, or soft, and that was fine?
It seems we've all become obsessed with ultimate sharpness (particularly reviewing cameras and lenses!)
Josh
I have tried, several times, to produce some selectively sharpened/OOF images, I just can't do it...sad, I know.
There is a photographer who I follow on Flickr who very rarely produces sharp images. They are very beautiful - more like 'old master' paintings and interesting (to me) she never fails to get hundreds of 'approvals'. She quite often uses lensbaby lenses and usually textures (many of which she makes herself) to create work which is a breath of fresh air and rather romantic. Personally I like both but think that there are times when sharpness is not the 'right' format - perhaps portraits, certainly children, when 'softness' can give a little more 'glamour'. But then I am also not a great fan of black and white as I think colour adds more gentility to an image.
Quote:The correct sharpness is like beauty...........in the eye of the beholder.
Agreed, I love the soft dreamlike style of David Hamilton ( although not the man himself if what is alleged about him was true). If it looks 'right' it is right, whether it be soft, sharp or blurred makes no difference. Look at some of the images with intentional camera movement of our own member Whatriveristhis, stunning.
Or pores in the human skin
Soft focus portrait lenses seem to have disappeared presumably in favour of over cooked post processing 😁
Soft focus portrait lenses seem to have disappeared presumably in favour of over cooked post processing 😁
Is the lack of sharpness due to poor focussing, poor lens or movement. You can correct these to some extent but general sharpening only enhances edge contrast which when overdone produces halos. I prefer my images to be naturally sharp and since having a 30Mp FF camera with L lenses, I rarely need to sharpen using editing techniques. When I do, I now use Topaz AI Plug-ins which do avoid trying to sharpen plain areas etc. I am also happy to blur on purpose and with the right subject this can work well. I am happy to soften skin on some portraits but only selectively, I would normally still require the eyes sharp.
Dave
Dave
Gaussion blur ?
