New webinar coming up: Best of Nikonians annual review, 28-MAR-2024 4PM EST (for all members on Silver level and higher) >>> More info

X


Sign up Login
Home Forums Articles Galleries Members Galleries Master Your Vision Galleries 5Contest Categories 5Winners Galleries 5ANPAT Galleries 5 The Winners Editor's Choice Portfolios Recent Photos Search Contest Info Help News Newsletter Join us Renew Membership About us Retrieve password Contact us Contests Vouchers Wiki Apps THE NIKONIAN™ For the press Fundraising Search Help!
More5

How-to's

Sharp?

Darryll Schiff (DSchiff)


Keywords: sharpness, art, blur, darryllschiff, dschiff

Just about every photographer has or would like the latest camera with the best, most expensive lenses.  Who wouldn’t? Lenses so sharp you can see each separate hair on the person’s head you’re doing a portrait of.  Lenses so sharp you swear you could count each blade of grass in your landscape shot.  Sensors so good that they can easily outdo film in terms of information, detail and tonal range. Don’t get me wrong, if you love to shoot film, keep going. There is something about that experience that is wonderful.

Nikon’s products are amazing. From my first FTN to my workhorse D800, from my first lens, a F1.4 50mm to a 500mm, 24-120 zoom, 70-300 zoom, and quite a few more, I could always rely on my equipment to produce the best pictures I could possibly make. Not only that, but I still have that 47+ year old 50mm and I can use it on my D800 if I like.  As far as I know, no other camera manufacturer can make the same claim. 

01

Darryll’s first Nikon, now brass plated ©Darryll Schiff
Click for an enlargement

 

Most of my pictures range from 30”x45” to 60”x90”, and a couple that are even bigger.

I’ve recently installed a 6 foot by 14 foot photo mural and, not too long ago, a 24 foot by 56 foot photo mural in Chicago’s South Loop, part of the Wabash Art Corridor.

02

Descending to Heaven mural, 24’x56’ ©Darryll Schiff
Click for an enlargement

 

At those sizes, are these pictures sharp?  Mainly yes, but also no, and now we get into the crux of what we’re talking about today.  They are sharp when I want them to be sharp. Generally most photographers desire their main subject to have that crispness.  An out of focus background and/or foreground can add to the effect.  But what about purposely making the whole image soft, out of focus?  How about adding movement to the picture and enhancing that out of focus feel, and adding more interest to the photo.  Maybe add a second exposure to see how that affects the shot.  

03

Evanescence 2 ©Darryll Schiff
Click for an enlargement

 

What? I have camera and a lens that cost a whole lot of money, state of the art equipment.  My autofocus is perfect, so what are you saying?  Forget about all that?  Of course don’t forget about it but you may occasionally want to step outside of the box, not be too preoccupied with just the technical perfection from your photography equipment and see what happens with trying to do something different with your pictures.

04

Evanescence 8 ©Darryll Schiff
Click for an enlargement

 

When I was a youngster my mother, who is an artist, sent me and one of my sisters to the Art Institute of Chicago for Saturday classes.  Thus I had a very early introduction to art and various ways of creating interesting images. But later on I had an experience that opened my eyes further to what you can do with a camera. Its 1970, I’m majoring in photography at the Institute of Design in Chicago, and the head of the department, Arthur Siegel, takes me and a number of other students to the Art Institute to hear Frederick Sommer speak. I had heard of him but barely knew his work.

05

Art Institute of Chicago ©Darryll Schiff
Click for an enlargement

 

There was much to be gained from this event, but the thing that really opened my eyes was when Frederick started showing his amazing work and in particular, a series of nudes-out of focus (Frederick Sommer nudes).  These were so different from what I was seeing in photographs at the time and really quite beautiful. All of a sudden I had a new outlook on the possibilities of what one can do with a camera.

06

El Lago 1 ©Darryll Schiff
Click for an enlargement

 

Now, years later, I still think of that day and how it influenced my work.  Of course I still shoot pictures where sharpness is important, but there are many images I create where it is not a consideration. If you haven’t done it, give it a try. There are many subjects that this will work with. Set your camera to manual focus, open the lens up and shoot from slightly to more out of focus.

(10 Votes )

Originally written on January 11, 2018

Last updated on February 16, 2018

Darryll  Schiff Darryll Schiff (DSchiff)

Chicago, USA
Basic, 18 posts

5 comments

David R Sharpe (NIKELODEON52) on June 2, 2020

Was it Capa who said he'd rather see an interesting out-of-focus image than one that was in perfect focus but lacked any interest and meant nothing. ??

jim ostrowski (f2theworld) on January 18, 2018

Photography, to me is, about Reality, in ways we as photographers can get it on FILM||| I do not appreciate any digitally-effected photos...such as seen on this site, made with 'D-Whatevers"...there is a recent photo shown, the grass is Vibrant tan, the background is Green as green can Ever Be!!!, etc.,...Not Real!!!..Not Real!!!..Real Photography is 'What IS Real'!!!

John Hernlund (Tokyo_John) on January 16, 2018

Fantastic article, thanks for reminding us that photography is an art!

Egbert M. Reinhold (Ineluki) on January 14, 2018

This a real source of inspiration. For some weeks I have been thinking that my kind of photography is no longer good enough for me. Now I will do other things. Thank you for writing this text here.

Lukas Werth (lukaswerth) on January 12, 2018

I find this a quite interesting and inspiring article. Actually, I have been thinking on the same lines for some time. Sharpness should be treated as a variant to be played with, and deliberate blurs can be very interesting - as can be pictures which consist mainly of bokeh.

G