My Bokeh - DPChallenge Forums

01/17/2005 08:59:29 AM · #1

a handful of commenters wondered about how my entry came to be. in reality, in was serendipity.

i used squirt bottle to create the droplets, then took the shots of the sun coming through the trees. the post-processing was very straight forward, really nothing more than what was necessary to make the image pop.

original............................with a little ps

i went back and shot a sunrise to make sure it wasn't a fluke (and to see how it would turn out)

original............................with a little ps

the challenge was to try to catch as much detail as possible in the droplet without it blowing out, as well as to position the sun in a place that added a decent bokeh.

all in all, i think this was a great challenge; thanks to all who participated, as entrants, voters, and especially commenters!

skip

Message edited by author 2005-01-17 10:03:14.

01/17/2005 10:04:55 AM · #2

my only question would be - especially for the second image - why crop it down so much. if you had to squirt the water, you could have gotten in much closer, and better framed the image/

01/17/2005 10:27:04 AM · #3

Originally posted by soup:

my only question would be - especially for the second image - why crop it down so much. if you had to squirt the water, you could have gotten in much closer, and better framed the image/

i tried, but this is the best i could do with my 28-80mm. 15" is about as close as i can get, but i couldn't really manage that here (the second shot was from about 20"). also, it lost all effect when shot lower than 80mm. there were just too many variables (position of the sun, how fast it rises, proximity of the horizon, as well as my ability to hold the camera steady) for me to have wound up with anything different this go round.

now, that being said, i could call this a test shot, and go back with a ladder and tripod, and try to get everything set up ahead of time (as well as to try other lenses).

Sigma 100-300mm f/4.0 EX IF HSM for Nikon

01/17/2005 10:38:11 AM · #4

what other lenses do you have?
i didn't realize it was above your head so much...

i just hate having to crop images down so much, and do my very best in most cases to avoid more than about a 10% crop. it's the ones that end up being cropped down 75% that i always want printed large...

take my waldo entry for instance - only an 8x10 print... because i had to rush with the set up... model had to clean up and leave.

MrYu

Nikon D70

01/17/2005 10:43:32 AM · #5

I think both of them are insufficiently sharp where they are supposed to be sharp.

thewriterside

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

01/17/2005 10:51:15 AM · #6

Originally posted by yurasocolov:

I think both of them are insufficiently sharp where they are supposed to be sharp.

Where do you think they are supposed to be sharper? Any more sharpness is going to give the photo a totally different feel. Honestly, the droplet is the only part you'd want in total focus.

01/17/2005 11:00:54 AM · #7

Originally posted by yurasocolov:

I think both of them are insufficiently sharp where they are supposed to be sharp.

i'll pass this along to upper management, as they always appreciate constructive feedback...

i imagine that with quite a bit more practice, and a tripod, i could possibly use the lenses that i have to produce an image with a razor sharp droplet filled with razor sharp detail. all the same, this was shot in the great outdoors where there is little to no control over the environment. also, the trees in the droplets are good 40-50 yards away. all the same, i guess i wouldn't mind spending my mornings wandering around the woods, looking for the perfect place to set up and capture that sharper image...

;-)

Originally posted by soup:

what other lenses do you have?

a 28-80, 75-300, and a 100 macro

Message edited by author 2005-01-17 11:03:13.

01/17/2005 11:04:26 AM · #8

that kind of goes back to my initial comment. had you been closer - it would have been easier to tell how sharp the droplet, and items contained within were when focusing...

Originally posted by yurasocolov:

I think both of them are insufficiently sharp where they are supposed to be sharp.

01/17/2005 11:22:52 AM · #9

heyah, tim!

after seeing migration 1, i can understand where you're coming from. how did you set up that shot (lens, distance to droplets, etc)? and what was the proximity of the droplets to the grass blades? that is a sweet image!

01/17/2005 11:48:30 AM · #10

thanks ;}
camera about 12" from drops - canon 18-55mm EFS lense @ 55mm.
the grass was about 15'-20' from the drops themselves.
it is difficult to focus through the water, because everything is distorted. the verticle bars in the drops were about 2' from the drops.

the BG elements here are not razor sharp by any means. but dicernable
. i have a 16x24" print in the kitchen - it looks pretty nice.

Message edited by author 2005-01-17 12:01:29.

01/17/2005 11:56:57 AM · #11

Originally posted by soup:

i have a 16x24" print in the kitchen - it looks pretty nice.

i'll bet it does!

thanks for the info, tim. i keep promising myself i'm going to set aside some time to learn just what i can and can't do with my lenses, especially in terms of controlling dof. is your image pretty much full-frame, or did you crop it in post?

Mattel Barbie Photo Designer Digital Camera

01/17/2005 12:02:13 PM · #12

full frame. 95% of my images are full frame.

nsbca7

01/17/2005 12:03:26 PM · #13

I would think the shot would have been an easier capture had you used your 100mm macro.

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

01/17/2005 12:11:28 PM · #14

Originally posted by nsbca7:

I would think the shot would have been an easier capture had you used your 100mm macro.

i'm going to try that as soon as i replace my tripod. there just wasn't enough light go make it work handheld (which might have been why, when i was first working out the shot, the 100mm was catching the detail, but losing the bokeh).

thatcloudthere

Canon EOS-1D

01/17/2005 12:35:10 PM · #15

Originally posted by soup:

full frame. 95% of my images are full frame.

Don't you kick yourself when you compose perfectly, other than being tilted 1 degree?

I'm always worried when I don't leave a buffer of about 5%...otherwise if I have to slightly rotate, I'm cutting something out or changing the composition.

Maybe it's the rookie in me...