Hi Sound,
Awesome Shots!!! You've done it to me again Sound. The snail/shell and the bark. I love it when someone can come up with snaps like that. Often something many would disregard or consider insignificant, yet when you bring these things to attention ... not only do you do it well, I just enjoy sharing the experience (honored too TY) with another who pays such attention.
I'm glad you able to experiment and LOL about tripping and forgetting. Right with you there. I am very encouraged myself to hear that you thought it worth while to experiment. Don't ever feel you will loose your own inbuilt features as you discover new ones on your camera. There is no such thing as a bad photo! It's how we see things that is so much more important. Forgive me if I appear overboard with flattery and the like ... I just feel it;s very beneficial all round to build on each others strengths, and share with you my own passions with such a wonderful way of looking at things. I guess I have never meet many others that do so whom are so connected and willing to share.
Had to reinstall FireFox, so going to once again ... whack your thread on my favorites menu atop my web browsers tool bar.
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The Blues flowers ... I have always been fascinated with the hair like structures/texture on the various parts of flowers. I also look for the same on the leaves, as in this pic also comes into focus as well.
Depth of Field (DOP) is perhaps something to look up or just keep in mind. It's the relationship between the focal point and blurred out parts of the picture, which can give the viewer a sense of distance (3D) to the intended subject (in this case - fury texture on the part of the flower extending from the stem ... as well as the leaf)
Paying a little attention to how
Depth of Field (DOP) can help to further bring out your target, will only serve to improve your ... already obvious talents.
Keep experimenting with the subject and focusing
Without overloading you too much than I already might have ... with DOP ... it is also important to know that Your Zoom amount/setting can also effect DOP. Experiment with this also. Take pictures using the optical zoom (forget about digital zoom entirely) by Zooming to say 3 or 4X ... take a pic with your method of practice regarding the focus square and what it is that you wish to focus on ... then with the same intention in mind ... zoom back out to Zero -Lens will retract - (I think sometimes referred to as infinite). Whilst retracting the lens to no zoom, you will have to walk in, focus with rectangle on subject ... "half depress to let the auto focus function to "lock on" Beep and snap!
The method of practice I have attempted to describe should give similar but different results. I believe DOP
Depth of Field should be effected. (the
Apparent Distance or
relationship between focused
subject and it's surroundings)
So to summarize (in my simpleton way) ...
DOP Depth of field.
What is it ... The relationship between "intended subject" and it's surroundings, which is effected be Distance of camera and Zoom settings.
Mind you Sound ... whilst experimenting with this ... keep vigilant with that focus rectangle (intended subject/s and pressing shoot button half way) to lock in the auto focus feature. (my eyes are getting worse, so
need to find my sound settings so I can hear it go BEEP ... as the Auto focus locks on)
Although finding the right distance and zoom to best bring your subject to life ... Focusing properly on subject, is what will separate that which surrounds it.
About the Macro setting:
I always use this on compact cameras, when I am close to subject and have zoom set to Zero (infinite) (fully retracted) ... this is where I find "myself and camera" moving backwards or forward to get the correct focus. Usually with compact a lens, this only required moving a matter of cm's by means of pivoting.
Compacts are GREAT at macro when done this way. They can produce good DOP depth of field with intended subject appearing to pop out of it's surroundings.
The piece of curled bark you captured nestled on the thin branches ... picture third from the bottom ... is a good example of this DOP taking place. Note* the three very thin branches, extending out of the curled bark into the foreground of photo. They are blurred and
out of focus as to the a good portion of the background.
By experimenting with some of what I have tried to explain, you will soon be able to control the amount of blur in such a manner by changing the distance of camera and or zoom setting on your camera to either bring out more detail in a subject by taking out less blur to include more subject or creating more blur to do away with what otherwise may be considered a distraction or simply make the subject pop out as such with your beautifully captured piece of bark and it's interesting DOP.
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For those shots where I seem to think I have too much DOP and want to bring more of the subject to focus, but having trouble doing so, which can often be the case with macro and said distance ... see what happens by turning macro off and just playing with the same variables ... distance of camera and zooms ... this will often over come those shots, where it's just not quite bringing out all of your intended subject.
Example would be that AWESOME HOT FIERY sun flower as I shall term it ... Now perhaps that is exactly as you intend it and it is something that just pulled me in straight away ... The color is simply amazing and the petals crispy as!!!
But to share with you ... where I struggle myself ... is Deciding what to do with those shots that I want to bring in the detail of the entire flower and how best to minimize its surroundings. Perhaps this is where your distance and zoom will work best and turning on or off macro.
Two things which I wont go into that would also help is know, 1. ... weather you have (IS) an "Image Stabilzer" opting that you can turn on, to help with camera shake and also those low light conditions which also can make things out of focus. 2 ... Using a tripod if enough space to do so. A tripod will most certainly improve focus for close up shots.
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The snail one is a great one where having everything in focus it even better. The texture in that shot would no doubt win awards on Flickr for sure! WELL DONE ...
You have actually taught me many things, as I have tried to explain. I have you Favorited now, so look forward to coming back soon enough.
I have another tip ... which you may know or not ... but for fear of hearing you sigh ... shall leave you in peace.
Take Care
Dave. :)
Radical Flowers on Head
Linear Mode
