Faces in the Flames

[eyeguy 54]

Just havin fun.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Fun stuff

[upnorth]

2nd to the last is pretty freakin cool!!!

[Steve Foss]

Now those are some great ghostly spirit faces!

[eyeguy 54]

I just gotta figure out how to get a better focus.

[Steve Foss]

It may not be an issue with focus, but with shutter speed. I haven't looked at the exif data, but unless your ISO is high, the ambient light from low flames like this often isn't enough to get you shutter speeds fast enough to freeze motion, and that often looks like it's out of focus when focus isn't the deal.

It could be focus, or it could be shutter speed. I'll see if I can pull exif.

Were these handheld or from a tripod?

BTW, in cases like this, where the effect is surreal, softness can actually add to the impact instead of detracting from it.

[Steve Foss]

OK, I'm seeing some shutter speeds up around 1/1000 and ISO of 1600, so it's quite possible it really is your focus. AF needs contrast in order to function, and flickering and moving flames like this are tough.

I'd put the camera on a tripod, manual focus it and duplicate the same settings and go from there.

[eyeguy 54]

Thanks for the tips! I'll try it again soon I hope.

[Jim Almquist]

Man that is some pretty hot stuff there The pics are pretty cool looking.

[eyeguy 54]

I think 4 and 5 are cousins. lol

[Catmendo]

Very cool!

[wishing for walleyes]

Very neat idea.Cool pictures.