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I know sharpness isn't the end all and be all of photography...

PFGS

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Location
NC USA
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...but that doesn't mean it's not fun sometimes to see what even modest gear can do. I was so preoccupied trying to keep both the towhead highlights and some detail in the black shorts (both came out better than in the scan - thanks grade 0 filter!) that it wasn't until the print dried that I noticed that, small as he is in this 8 by 8 inch print, both his pupils and irises are completely distinct, even if I have to take my glasses off to see them - you can even see the slightly darker rim of the iris. I'm pretty happy to call that "sharp enough" for an old Yashica D.
 
But it's a great picture. Good exposure, nice light, perfect subject with a lot of character. I think your focus may have been a tiny bit in front of the face, but this is a damn good photo anyway.
I've had several TLR's of different makes, and they've all been more than good enough. Just sometimes my skills get a bit dull (or out of focus).
 
I hate to disappoint you but that Yashica D is capable of far greater resolution. Unless the glass is gross, you have a duty to find out what is wrong. Photography depends upon doing that. I would have wanted to be able to count the strands in his hair. - David Lyga
 

Thanks! Never any shortage of character with this one. Focus is definitely in front of his face - the eyes are in whatever DOF f5.6 is giving me. Nothing new with this kid - of my two sons he's by far the more cooperative subject but he's a serious wiggler all the same.
 
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As Jimjm noted, the focus is ahead of his face. Medium format & busy kids is always a bit of a crapshoot for me, so I was happy to get what I got. My Yashica D was purchased from Mark Hama a few years ago when he still occasionally sold cameras he'd worked on, and it's in fine order. If there's any weak spot in the chain that produced the shot above, it's in my enlarging setup and/or the quick scan and even quicker resize for web. Somewhere I have a shot from the same camera, of my niece taking up not much more of the frame than in the above, and you can indeed count every individual and quite fine hair on the skin of her upper arm. But of course, the point of my thread title is that very often, photography does not in fact count on absolute sharpness.
 
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awty said:
Nice smile, eyes like setting suns. Interesting method of wearing a watch. Is he left hanbed or just likes to be different?
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He seems to be legitimately ambidextrous, but I think the wearing is more about it being an adult size watch on his very skinny wrist. Once while hiding in a big Amazon delivery box, he described himself as a "meager child" who would be "a disappointment to someone who was expecting dog food," if that also gives you any idea of his being a little different!
 
Your title is substantially correct and, partially, at least, I will buy your explanation. Thank you for your feedback. - David Lyga
 
IMO, this is a wonderful portrait of an engaging child. Sharpness, for me, is overrated. I have made many wonderful images with my MF folders that have "only" Tessar lenses. Are they technically as sharp as the Zeiss glass on my Hasselblad? Probably not, but I've never directly compared the results. Have you ever seen any of Ansel Adams's original prints up close? I would guess that most photographers would deem them not particularly sharp. Who cares? He made superlative images that are a real pleasure to view! Just my 2 cents...
 
Lovely portrait. Sharpness is nice for some things but not all, like this instance. Of cameras that have a focusing mechanism, TLRs are the most difficult to focus.

When I picked up a Yashica Mat 124 I cleaned the underside of the ground glass, mirror, and inside of the focusing lens after removing the four small screws around the top of the viewfinder and pulling the assembly out. This made it much easier to focus.
 

Thanks - he's indeed quite engaging, if a bit unfocused at times in more ways than one.

Truth is I didn't mean to start another "sharpness is overrated" thread, if for no other reason than than any second now someone will come along to point out that I've claimed this shot is both sharp, and out of focus. But of course, we don't get much say on where our threads go.

Looking over this photo and others from the same roll I also printed last night, I wonder if my reaction isn't more about finally printing some medium format. I've shot tons of it, but printed very little, and last night was the first time since re-establishing my darkroom this summer and getting to become a significantly less incompetent printer. I went to bed seriously considering giving up 35mm entirely.
 

Thanks.

I did that process on my other Yashica D, the one that wasn't already CLAd by Mark Hama, and yes - it makes a huge difference.
 
it is way too easy to let technical considerations get in the way of just enjoying your photography. If you like the image, then the image is perfect. Nobody else's opinion matters.
 
summicron1 said:
it is way too easy to let technical considerations get in the way of just enjoying your photography. If you like the image, then the image is perfect. Nobody else's opinion matters.
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Well, that's the hard part, sometimes - we know we are going to invest time and money, blood, sweat and tears, so we agonize about our gear and technique but sometimes forget that past a certain basic level of quality and good working order, engagement with our subject is going to pay us back a lot more than chasing a little more resolution or whatever. Both my very digital-native sons like this image too, which is pretty rewarding in itself.
 
I like this photograph and you should as well. It is clear that you do. People get so hung up on technical issues they forget that it is really the picture that people are drawn to. This is a very good composition that focuses the attention on the primary subject.

Enjoy the camera, it is obviously a good one.
 
fun stuff !
great portrait -
I agree with the others, sharpness can be over rated and worrying about gear, too.
its more fun to make pictures than worry about resolving power of film or lenses &c
have fun !
John
 
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