to focus or not to focus - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

07/18/2003 01:21:17 PM · #1

FIRST PHOTO SUBMITTED, AND ALL I HEAR IS NOT FOCUSED, WELL MAYBE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THAT WAY!!
TOUGH CROWD.
BUT THATS OK I CAN TAKE IT, EVEN THE BEATLES WERE TURNED DOWN BY DECCA AND WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM.
LOOK FORWARD TO MORE ABUSE.

agwright

Canon EOS-20D

07/18/2003 01:27:02 PM · #2

could you explain why it was out of focus .. ?

07/18/2003 01:29:41 PM · #3

70'S PENTHOUSE

joshua

Canon EOS-500D Rebel T1i

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

07/18/2003 01:30:32 PM · #4

Originally posted by seabrook:

maybe you need some glasses

07/18/2003 01:33:23 PM · #5

So you have others with better focus and lighting and made a deliberate decision to go for the out of focus and under exposed version ?

07/18/2003 01:35:05 PM · #6

NO BUT I JUST LIKE THE WAY IT LOOKED, FOR ME IT'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS

07/18/2003 01:39:12 PM · #7

I'm lost now- so if it is still a work in progress, you didn't mean it to be like that, so you seem to be agreeing with the comments you are complaining about.

Btw - the CAPS LOCK key is your friend, don't let it feel ignored.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

07/18/2003 01:43:03 PM · #8

I mean the process not the photo, and to tell the truth most of the entries were quite weak.

dodobird

Canon PowerShot G2

07/18/2003 01:53:37 PM · #9

Seabrook there is no reason to dis on the other entries just cause you are frustrated. To me your shot has poor lighting which is causing pixelation and your shot was blurry, not soft focus. Here is a sample of a tutorial on soft focus //www.dpchallenge.com/tutorial.php?TUTORIAL_ID=2 You will notice the difference. You will find here people like nice crisp shots, usually the artsier ones don't do as well. Stick around you will get an idea of what people like. Remember most of us are just average Joes with digi cams that come here to learn more about photography.

Message edited by author 2003-07-18 13:54:26.

alanfreed

Nikon Z9

07/18/2003 01:54:56 PM · #10

Originally posted by seabrook:

...and to tell the truth most of the entries were quite weak.

Then we'll all certainly look forward to learning all sorts of new and exciting techniques from you in the future!

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

07/18/2003 01:58:33 PM · #11

I didn't happen to comment on your photo originally, though looking at it I wouldn't say it was out of focus.

From the underexposed nature of the shot and the shot info you entered with a shutter speed at 1/8s at f3.5 @ ISO 100 I would say it is suffering from a lack of light and a lot of camera shake due to the long exposure time. So not out of focus, just blurry due to movement.

From your comments I can guess that this might have been intentional, but I'm not sure. Was it ?

Myabe you've been watching too many Danny Boyle movies recently and tried to borrow the camera techniques from that ?

zerocusa

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

07/18/2003 01:58:48 PM · #12

Originally posted by seabrook:

LOOK FORWARD TO MORE ABUSE.

Hmm... you ask for it!

Diversq

Canon EOS-10D

07/18/2003 02:00:34 PM · #13

Originally posted by seabrook:

and to tell the truth most of the entries were quite weak.

Your kidding right?

Jacko

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

07/18/2003 02:18:22 PM · #14

Yikes. And more abuse you will get with that kind of attitude.

The good news: you'll learn what voters like. Blurry and underexposed shots do not do well here. The learning experience is there for the taking. Do with it what you will.

jmsetzler

Sony Alpha a6000

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 E-mount

07/18/2003 02:29:20 PM · #15

I didn't comment on the photo during the vote either. But if you are interested in my opinion on it, please read further... otherwise, just ignore this post...

Whether the softness of this image was created by motion blur, camera shake, or simple lack of focus doesn't really matter to me, because the softness of this particular images just doesn't make sense to me. Personally, I think it's a bad choice on a closeup view to have everything in it that soft. In my mind, the purpose of any closeup view is to highlight some particular (or all) detail in the image. All the detail in this image is lost in the blur.

I also don't like your choice of exposure. The tonal range is rather flat. The histogram on this photo probably doesn't have much at all in the highlight range.

The third issue for me is that is simply a 'weak' entry into a nude challenge IMO. Yes, the feet are 'unclothed' without a doubt :)

Finally, the yellow toenails just did not impress me at all.

You stated that the 'softness' was intentional so maybe an explanation of your intent would help the rest of us to understand your vision with this photo.

07/18/2003 02:41:59 PM · #16

I'm not pissed just giving my opinion, not an easy challenge, but you can't tell me what I was thinking.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

07/18/2003 02:50:45 PM · #17

Originally posted by seabrook:

I'm not pissed just giving my opinion, not an easy challenge, but you can't tell me what I was thinking.

I think that is why everyone was asking - you still haven't told us though.

crabappl3

07/18/2003 02:51:04 PM · #18

I don't believe we are try to say what you were thinking. The opinions expressed thus far are from seasoned photographers who know what they are looking at and can interpret it fairly well. We all grow with each challenge, hopefully, so take this as an opportunity to exam what works and doesn't work. You are free to submit your artistic work here, just remember that with a 5 second voter, if you don't wow 'em and give them a nice clean image, you'll get votes in the low 5's or worse.

ChrisW123

Canon EOS-1000D Rebel XS

07/18/2003 02:51:30 PM · #19

People in the challenge are just making comments based on how they like the picture and what they think is wrong (or right) about the picture. Obviously they can't know what you "were thinking" or trying to accomplish.

So if you made the pic look that way on purpose, you should probably rethink the idea and maybe discard it in the future since most of the commenters don't like it.

Alpine99

Canon EOS-550D Rebel T2i

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

07/18/2003 03:03:05 PM · #20

I liked it and tbh found it hard to understand how it managed to come below a banana and a kitten in a nude challenge.. I thought the image had a sort of 'dreamyness' about it and, from the blue tones of the flesh and the striking nail colour, could see the colour balance had been changed..

Each to his own... attitude won't help though!

orussell

Canon EOS Rebel T6s

Canon EF 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6 II USM

07/18/2003 03:06:20 PM · #21

If you get on too childishly here on this site or take offense cause people "don't get" your image, people just won't take you seriously and eventually will just ignore you. Take it from someone with first hand experience. ;) Cheers.

Owen

07/18/2003 03:33:28 PM · #22

I'm not copping an attitude, just trying to get a feel....lighten up