I am DESPERATE for some help - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

06/26/2010 07:09:50 PM · #1

Ok so long story short... I had a shoot today... 2 yr old... portraits and then water shots.... The client is EXTREMELY (her words) happy with the product... however this one shot she LOVES but it has come out very very very blurry -- this is because he jumped before I was ready and I wasnt totally focused. We couldnt get him to repeat.

I tinkered with it and managed to get it clear in BW but I cant get it decent in color. She is aware of this and has asked me to keep trying.

I thought well if I cant do it maybe someone here can.

Again she is aware that this is a very difficult dilemma.

Here is the kicker.... its NOT in RAW because this was with the underwater camera which does not have RAW capabilities.
However I do have it in large format (I can email it to you)

Here is a shrunk down version so you can see what you are up against!

If anyone is willing to try! I so would appreciate it.
and I would OWE you a big one!!!!

Thanks

ETA" I GOT WHAT I NEEDED THANKS TO THOSE THAT HELPED!!!

Message edited by author 2010-06-26 20:59:40.

MattO

Nikon D4

06/26/2010 07:12:32 PM · #2

Between motion blur and focus missed you aren't going to get much done with that. That is what is called emotionally in focus. Sometimes you just don't get the shot. Explain it to the customer and go on. Or go all artistic with it and add more motion blur to it.

chromeydome

Nikon D7000

06/26/2010 07:15:57 PM · #3

Not sure there is much you can do to make him look sharper (some localized increase in contrast, just a bit, can sometimes fool the eye a bit), and there may be some localized sharpening/masking techniques that could fool the eye a bit, too..

But, I guess I am not sure this shot would be better if he were in sharper focus: since everything else is sharp, the motion blur implies, well, motion--fits the context well. If he were crystal sharp, it might look a little odd, actually.

"Document it, and call it a Feature."

Message edited by author 2010-06-26 19:19:18.

06/26/2010 07:18:17 PM · #4

Originally posted by MattO:

how would you suggest adding more motion blur to it??

kenskid

Nikon D700

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

06/26/2010 07:29:32 PM · #5

Send me a copy that I can work with.....boy I love the good 'ol days when we could right click.

Originally posted by JustCaree:

Originally posted by MattO:
Between motion blur and focus missed you aren't going to get much done with that. That is what is called emotionally in focus. Sometimes you just don't get the shot. Explain it to the customer and go on. Or go all artistic with it and add more motion blur to it.

how would you suggest adding more motion blur to it??

Message edited by author 2010-06-26 19:29:43.

Cory

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

06/26/2010 07:31:25 PM · #6

I just hit it hard with topaz clean..

Cory

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

06/26/2010 07:31:57 PM · #7

Originally posted by kenskid:

Send me a copy that I can work with.....boy I love the good 'ol days when we could right click.

Originally posted by JustCaree:

Originally posted by MattO:
Between motion blur and focus missed you aren't going to get much done with that. That is what is called emotionally in focus. Sometimes you just don't get the shot. Explain it to the customer and go on. Or go all artistic with it and add more motion blur to it.

how would you suggest adding more motion blur to it??

You still can when it's in their workshop.. :) (this is in her workshop..)

elsapo

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f1.2L

06/26/2010 07:33:13 PM · #8

I don't think you will be able to get it sharp but you can try to make it more nostalgic or more artistic?

Here is my quick edit:

I basically changed the colors to make it look more "vintage", added a vignette, blurred + softened the background, reduced the intensity of the highlights, and slightly sharpened the rest of the image. Not sure why I added the black border but I kind of like it...

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

06/26/2010 07:36:02 PM · #9

THanks guys!!

Here is the full size

if you want to mail me any edits you do

justcaree@gmail.com so you dont have to use your storage.

MinsoPhoto

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

06/26/2010 07:52:03 PM · #10

Hate to say it but this one needs to just be moved to the trash can. Sorry. :(

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

06/26/2010 08:05:53 PM · #11

Originally posted by jminso:

Hate to say it but this one needs to just be moved to the trash can. Sorry. :(

I disagree. ElSapo's edit makes it into a very interesting image.

R.

chromeydome

Nikon D7000

06/26/2010 08:08:40 PM · #12

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by jminso:
Hate to say it but this one needs to just be moved to the trash can. Sorry. :(

I disagree. ElSapo's edit makes it into a very interesting image.

R.

Concur. That is a nice edit.

06/26/2010 08:08:56 PM · #13

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by jminso:
Hate to say it but this one needs to just be moved to the trash can. Sorry. :(

I disagree. ElSapo's edit makes it into a very interesting image.

R.

I agree with Robert here. I wasn't sure it could be saved when I first saw the original, but

elsapo really knocked it out of the park.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

06/26/2010 08:17:59 PM · #14

Yeah I sent Elpaso the original and asked him to please repeat cause I loved it.

Im going to send her his,

and this one:

which is mine

and I did one with a very soft focus....

and tell her that is the best we can do for an unplanned shot... since shes happy with the shots that i went there for... I dont feel to guilty... she is just so sweet LOL... and he was so fun to shoot!

Yo_Spiff

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

06/26/2010 08:19:32 PM · #15

Did a lot of selective adjustment on it. Some adjustments helped to minimize the edge blur on the boy, but the technicals are never going to look great. Sometimes capturing the moment is what matters. I e-mailed you the full size copy.

I think

Elsapo's vintage look does the best for it.

Message edited by author 2010-06-26 20:21:46.

MinsoPhoto

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

06/26/2010 08:19:53 PM · #16

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by jminso:
Hate to say it but this one needs to just be moved to the trash can. Sorry. :(

I disagree. ElSapo's edit makes it into a very interesting image.

R.

Agreed that edit is excellent work and I suppose if I held a sentimental attachment to the kid I would prob love the image.

hahn23

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS II USM Lens

06/26/2010 08:20:01 PM · #17

Originally posted by bassbone:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by jminso:
Hate to say it but this one needs to just be moved to the trash can. Sorry. :(

I disagree. ElSapo's edit makes it into a very interesting image.

R.

I agree with Robert here. I wasn't sure it could be saved when I first saw the original, but elsapo really knocked it out of the park.

Sorry, opportunity squandered. Children are like wildlife. Shoot wide open aperture and elevated ISO speed to garner as much shutter speed as possible. 1/2000s wouldn't have been too fast. A narrow DOF would have been very helpful to the aesthetic appeal of the image. Sorry, but to anyone other than the mother of this child, this is not a good image. Sure, you can try to creatively make chicken salad. But, why not do it right in the first place? The most beneficial outcome of this debacle would be to learn from your mistakes. Subject in focus is fundamental. Sorry to not mollycoddle you, but I sort of feel our chain is being yanked here.

Message edited by author 2010-06-26 20:23:09.

06/26/2010 08:22:48 PM · #18

Originally posted by hahn23:

Sorry, but to anyone other than the mother of this child, this is not a good image.

The image is for the mother so I guess she did just fine...

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS II USM Lens

06/26/2010 08:24:09 PM · #19

Originally posted by hahn23:

Originally posted by bassbone:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by jminso:
Hate to say it but this one needs to just be moved to the trash can. Sorry. :(

I disagree. ElSapo's edit makes it into a very interesting image.

R.

I agree with Robert here. I wasn't sure it could be saved when I first saw the original, but elsapo really knocked it out of the park.

Sorry, opportunity squandered. Children are like wildlife. Shoot wide open aperture and elevated ISO speed to garner as much shutter speed as possible. 1/2000s wouldn't have been too fast. A narrow DOF would have been very helpful to the aesthetic appeal of the image. Sorry, but to anyone other than the mother of this child, this is not a good image. Sure, you can try to creatively make chicken salad. But, why not do it right in the first place? The most beneficial outcome of this debacle would be to learn from your mistakes. Sorry to not mollycoddle you, but I sort of feel our chain is being yanked here.

If you read my entire post u would see that this was NOT planned... I was just getting in the pool. I was NOT using my SLR, I was using an Underwater camera, which was set for underwater mode, I wasnt planning on doing above water shots for this, I had already completed his above water shots, but it caught my eye and I tried to capture it. I didnt have time to switch to anything and this camera does not allow you to set much. It was NOT my canon. I took over a 100 pictures of this child and this was the only one that did not come out as planned. She nicely asked me to see what I could do with it because it was the ONLY time he jumped in the pool while I was there. It was not a mistake. It was a case of trying to capture a moment, and the moment wasnt captured.

hahn23

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

06/26/2010 08:24:22 PM · #20

Originally posted by bassbone:

Originally posted by hahn23:
Sorry, but to anyone other than the mother of this child, this is not a good image.

The image is for the mother so I guess she did just fine...

Bull! As photographers, we have a responsibility to produce quality images to even the prejudiced clients. eta: I wouldn't have shown this to the client.

Message edited by author 2010-06-26 20:26:47.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS II USM Lens

06/26/2010 08:25:14 PM · #21

Originally posted by hahn23:

Originally posted by bassbone:

Originally posted by hahn23:
Sorry, but to anyone other than the mother of this child, this is not a good image.

The image is for the mother so I guess she did just fine...

Bull! As photographers, we have a responsibility to produce quality images to even the prejudiced clients.

Nope. We are to produce images that the clients want.

hahn23

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

06/26/2010 08:27:54 PM · #22

Originally posted by bassbone:

Originally posted by hahn23:

Originally posted by bassbone:

Originally posted by hahn23:
Sorry, but to anyone other than the mother of this child, this is not a good image.

The image is for the mother so I guess she did just fine...

Bull! As photographers, we have a responsibility to produce quality images to even the prejudiced clients.

Nope. We are to produce images that the clients want.

Wrong, the client deserves a professional output, even if they don't recognize. Their friends will.... and those are our potential future clients!

06/26/2010 08:30:55 PM · #23

Originally posted by hahn23:

Originally posted by bassbone:

Originally posted by hahn23:

Originally posted by bassbone:

Originally posted by hahn23:
Sorry, but to anyone other than the mother of this child, this is not a good image.

The image is for the mother so I guess she did just fine...

Bull! As photographers, we have a responsibility to produce quality images to even the prejudiced clients.

Nope. We are to produce images that the clients want.

Wrong, the client deserves a professional output, even if they don't recognize. Their friends will.... and those are our potential future clients!

Richard - I agree with you to a point. The image would have never even made it off the card if it was on my camera, but the mom saw the image, loved the expression of her child at that very moment. It would be your responsibility to provide it to her. Now, I agree that learning more about the camera and exposure and shutter speed and having the best settings for the moment would have helped get a higher and potentially more professional image, but the moment that Carrie captured is the one the mom wanted.

chromeydome

Nikon D7000