A high focus score on a photo that looks out of focus usually comes down to the preview inside the RAW file. Narrative assesses focus using the JPEG preview that your camera saves inside each RAW file. If that preview is small, like in some Sony ARW files, a face can score higher than it looks in the full RAW photo.
A focus score is guidance to help you cull, not a guarantee that every part of the photo is sharp.
What should I check first?
Before you decide a score is wrong, check these:
Narrative is up to date.
Your photo's file is connected and is a supported file type.
Narrative has finished processing, including any high-res previews. Learn how to turn on high-res previews.
You're looking at the face the score is for, not another part of the photo.
The photo looks soft in your editing software too, not just in Narrative.
A small preview can look pixelated when you zoom in, even if the full photo is sharp. A soft preview can still have an accurate focus score.
What does the focus score measure?
The focus score tells you how sharp a face is. It's separate from the eye and expression assessment, so a face can be sharp while the person's eyes are closed. A photo's ranking within its Scene is a different thing again.
For photos without faces, Narrative ranks them by sharpness within their Scene. This needs macOS 14 or later. It isn't on Windows yet, but Windows support is on the way.
Blur can be on purpose, like motion or a shallow depth of field. Compare the other photos in the Scene and choose the one you like best.
Can RAW+JPEG give more accurate focus scores?
Shooting RAW+JPEG can help. Narrative shows you the larger JPEG to cull, so the focus scores use more detail. When you ship, Narrative sends the RAW file to your editing software. You'll have three files for each photo in your folder: the RAW, the JPEG and the XMP file (a small sidecar file that holds your ratings).
How do I report a wrong focus score?
If a face is clearly soft in the full photo but has a high score, let us know so we can improve it. Contact us through the chat bubble or at [email protected] with your camera, file type, Narrative version, a screenshot of the score and what you expected. We'll tell you how to send us an example.