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I recently travelled to Canberra for three days with 70+ children on a school camp with my daughter.

I of course took many photos whilst I we were there and it was a great opportunity to test out my newly acquired Nikon 70-200/2.8 (just over 400 images (about 50% of the total) with this lens). This is one of my early efforts which I unfortunately shot wide open at f/2.8 and since I didn't nail the focus properly I didn't get enough depth of field and as such fail

Over the course of a couple days I did take a number of better portraits with the lens, however as murphy's law would have it they are all of other children...

Remorhaz wrote: This is one of my early efforts which I unfortunately shot wide open at f/2.8 and since I didn't nail the focus properly I didn't get enough depth of field and as such fail

it still looks more than acceptable, the focus plane appears to be just behind the eyes, ie the hairline is really sharp. The bokeh is pretty sweet, as one would expect, you now have me wanting this darn lens..

at the end of teh day, its a good portrait and the flaws (focus and slight chopped off head) are diminished significantly due to the framing, and captured expression. If its one thing I have learnt, those two factors the latter moreso, override just about any technical flaw when it comes to kid portraits...

The brokeh is silk.

You throw away your backgrounds and stands, as this lens seems to change any background into something bokelicious.

Woah.. nice boke!

biggerry wrote:it still looks more than acceptable, the focus plane appears to be just behind the eyes, ie the hairline is really sharp. The bokeh is pretty sweet, as one would expect, you now have me wanting this darn lens..

norwest wrote:The brokeh is silk.

surenj wrote:You throw away your backgrounds and stands, as this lens seems to change any background into something bokelicious.

Sylvia wrote:Woah.. nice boke!

Yes mucho happy with the bokeh - smooth and sweet. In this case the background was mostly just grass. For most of the portraits I took I was shooting at f/4 for a little more DoF (to cope with subject and camera operator movement) and mostly with trees, gardens and flower beds and such in the background but it still renders them as a very pleasant monet haze (not a single flat colour like this but still very nice and smooth).

I don't know what you're unhappy about because that image is tops! For portraits I tend to aim for at least the nose, eyes and mouth to be sharp, however I've bent that rule whenever I saw fit. What you have there is top notch and I highly doubt the parent of that girl will be unhappy with what you've captured.

Very nice image Rodney, and yes, the 70-200 (Canon or Nikon) is a classic lens with a great focal length. There's not much you can't photograph with it. You've done very well.

Ozi.

PiroStitch wrote:I don't know what you're unhappy about because that image is tops! For portraits I tend to aim for at least the nose, eyes and mouth to be sharp, however I've bent that rule whenever I saw fit. What you have there is top notch and I highly doubt the parent of that girl will be unhappy with what you've captured.

The aim was to get the eyes super sharp but I missed it by a hair I expect. I do very much like the shot - the unhappiness is knowing I could have got it just that bit better by nailing the eyes and yes the parent (me) is happy

ozimax wrote:Very nice image Rodney, and yes, the 70-200 (Canon or Nikon) is a classic lens with a great focal length. There's not much you can't photograph with it. You've done very well.

Yep - very happy with the lens so far - as with many things - should have done it a long time ago

I've yet to try it with the TC (1.4) that I bought a little while back - perhaps I'll have to go out with Gerry birding or something sometime - that beach location looked pretty sweet as well

Remorhaz wrote:The aim was to get the eyes super sharp but I missed it by a hair I expect. I do very much like the shot - the unhappiness is knowing I could have got it just that bit better by nailing the eyes and yes the parent (me) is happy

Stop pixel peeping

PiroStitch wrote:Stop pixel peeping

Although you'd want to correct that white balance though.

surenj wrote:Although you'd want to correct that white balance though.

Yeah I know - lots and lots of lush bright greenery made for lots of green reflected light which makes for mucho problemo.

I've had another go at this portrait adjusting both temp and tint by eye.