Sharpness obsessed as we are (I am enjoying a period of sharpness happiness with my re-processing of old files on Capture 1), it is easy to worship that one god at the expense of all others.

The reality is, only we (photographers) actually care. The perceptions of our viewers are generally more wholistic, responding with more emotional and memory conditioned responses than raw acceptance of technical supremacy.

The image above has strong shapes formed from the body and environment of an emotionally sympathetic subject. The file itself is not very sharp and worse, it is not sharp where it should be (it primarily falls on the front wing, but misses the eye, and the majority of the beak.

This is a classic example of a first impression being strong enough to head off any more hard boiled and immediate criticisms based on a minor (or major) technical short fall.

One of my greatest “bluffs” is a 4x6’ sign in a school I worked for a few years ago. The image has connection, immediacy, solid composition, good colour and subject empathy, but it is soft, when hard sharpness is perceived. Shot from the hip with an older EM5 mk1 and 75-300 tele, the image defies negative feelings, but on a technical level it is an also-ran at best.

The image above is also quite soft when viewed closely (noise and patchy technique). The contrast and structure it has in abundance has however created a feeling of biting crispness.

This file however, is actually very sharp and “on point” focus wise. Ironically, the lack of contrast, cool colour and scant detail separation gives it a softer look.

If we tackle our subjects with empathy and a desire to tell a story, the technical stuff tends to fall away.