Soft or not? Pictures added for comparison

[Briony]

As you all now I am trying so hard to get good at this.

My problem is that most of the photos I put on here look sharp to me and the general comments are they look soft.

Do you think I should go ands get my eyes checked ( stop laughging!!!) or is there any way I can better this.

To my eye through the lens it looks o.k. then when I get it on to the screen they look soft to my eye sometimes.

Thanks guys

 

[foggy4ever]

It took me some time to get the hang of resizing to 800px to post on here and still look good. How and when do you sharpen?

 

[Briony]

I usually do it in photo filtre as still learning photo shop and sharpen to my eye if that makes sense.

Does wearing glasses make a difference as I wear them for reading but not for photography (perhaps I should)

 

[foggy4ever]

I think most resize then USM(UnSharpeMask) as the last adjustment, it was only when I found this out my pics on here started looking better.
You could try posting a couple of shots with different levels of sharpening and let the more experience TP's have a look.

 

[Briony]

I willpost 2 pictures here and the 2nd one has been adjusted to my eye levels see what you think.

1

2

 

[foggy4ever]

To my eyes the second looks sharpe enough, but I'm still on a sharpe learning curve as to PP so hopefully someone else will help.

I would suggest editing you OP title to include pictures added.

 

[whooshdemon]

Hi Briony,

The second photo definitely looks better to me. Though I also find it tricky to get the right level of sharpening - I think there is a trend to use lots of sharpening (which can distress me a bit as it can look so unnatural coming from slide background).

Wearing glasses can be tricky. I'm short sighted and astigmatic and virtually blind without glasses so photograph wearing them. I know I can't tell sharpness very well through the lens - I think because if you focus a little beyond then it relieves strain on my eye trying to focus on infinity so "feels" okay even if not quite right. So I check focus obsessively on my computer at home.

But I on the same learning curve as you - how much sharpening to add to suit? Keep trying and get feedback.

Good luck.

 

[mrtoad]

I willpost 2 pictures here and the 2nd one has been adjusted to my eye levels see what you think.

1

2

the second one is brilliant...but!!!!

you ask why didnt it look like that in take 1

and how can software do so much for so few for so little..:|

do you have eyesight correction on the viewfinder....do some tests with newsprint at home and get it adjusted for the eye you use to shoot with

i am an auto focus nut so i dont care