What is your method for getting both eyes sharp when you are shooting a a head shot with the models face turned 45 degrees from camera focal plane? This is where the eyes are closer and further away, or front and back from the camera.
I've tried several approches with varying degrees of success.
2. Bridge of the nose: depending on focal length, aperture, and distance to subject, sometimes sharp sometimes not.
3. Closest tear duct: crap.
4. Backing away from the subject, bridge of the nose, and cropping in post process--sharp.
5. Same thing as 4 but at 200mm+ at 10+ yards. Same effect in that DOF becomes greater at the subject.
Specifically, is there a method to get both eyes sharp when you are using a 70mm lens and shooting at 4-5.6 at about 2.5 feet from the models face? Sometimes space is tight you know.
The image below is an example, but her face is even less than 45 degrees. But you get the point.
Thanks.
200mm f5 1/200th ISO 100 at about 8-10 feet.
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A photograph isn't about numbers or hard and fast rules. In fact, the moment you say, oh yea a portrait must be a 105mm lens, or a beauty shot must require soft broad light with 40% fill, then you've pretty much lost your way.
Any photograph, especially a portrait must have a clear intent.
Is the intent to make the subject look traditionally pretty (like you showed in your photo?), or unique to themselves, or is it a statement of the artist.
Some portrait photographers have a very strong style and that style crosses all subjects, but it is as much a portrait of the photographer as it is the subject. Good for the photographer, probably not so good for the subject, depending on your point of view.
If your learning, probably the best thing to do is to stick with one lens and work that until you understand it. I would suggest wider instead of longer, as it will teach you to manipulate the subject and "fix" the image in front of the camera, rather than just throwing on longer lenses and trying to "fix" it yourslef.
It's not the distance, F-stop, or whatever, it's more of how you place the camera.
Actually, it's a shame more people don't start with view cameras, because then you learn how just keeping the subject level to the film plane (or not) can change the perspective and look of the photo as much as any change of lens.
With digital we truly are getting in the flat plane look of photography since most of the lenses don't move and with the dslrs, especially the Canons have such a heavy filter and smooth look that the detail is beginning to look less sharp than what we had with film or what you get with a non AA filtered camera.
Pesonally I think a lot of digital looks too smooth and if there is any reason to buy a mfdb, it's probalby because of the no aa filter.
One more thing, if your in the learning process (I guess we're all in the learning process), don't follow the rules, just break them, but never forget the intent of the photograph.
JR
