Starting a general Photography hints thread

[Lin]

But if it's not possible to move the subject, can I blur the background by changing a setting?

[Dorothy]

Originally Posted by Lin

I think you've established that there is enough interest to warrant a forum

How would you minimize the depth of focus with a point and shoot to show off the flower?

I have a Kodak DX7590, so do have some controls.

Thanks

I agree! .. woohoo ...
see ... It was on the right track!

How can one grow orchids and not want to capture their beauty for the years to come! and/or to compare the plant through out time to see how it is progressing in health and age!
Photography doesn't have to be about expertise, though yes we are blessed with Ross! Hints for those who shoot for fun or professionally are beneficial to all .. chat about cameras .. as they are always changing and everyone has something different .. outdoor shooting .. indoor shooting etc there are so many issues to address ..

I vote for a special Photography forum!

What does everyone say!

VOTE YES!

[Ross]

Originally Posted by Lin

But if it's not possible to move the subject, can I blur the background by changing a setting?

Yep. You need a wider lens setting (if you can do this with your camera. For instance f16 will capture greatest depth of focus while f2.2 will be much less-so. Some lenses go to f22 or beyond, but aberations come into play. Many lenses nowadays go to f2.8 or even f1.4 but quality of image suffers. The smaller the number the flatter the depthe of focus. So f2.8 has almost no depth while f16 or 22 has a lot.

[Ross]

Another thought: if you cannot do any of the above (move the subject/background or change settings) what about taking a special picture of out-of focus subject matter and getting it printed to, say 11x14 or bigger, then using that as the background? Think creatively, and I hope to hear of other just-as-creative solutions, because I am always searching!

[LizT]

& you didn't think there would be enough interest in photo forum Personally my vote is for a new forum for ease of locating particular information for future reference. These new digital cameras are fanastic in the ability for instant feedback. I love taking mine out. Even if I can't get a good pic hopefully I'll remember where I went wrong.

Ross - thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. Keep it up & everyone else who wishes to share theirs.

BTW missing you all hopefully will be able to chat on Fri.

[Ross]

Marty, several votes so far. What ya say!?

[Lagoon]

A photo forum would be a great idea!!

[Ross]

Originally Posted by Dorothy

Ross - I am uploading some photos as I type and my background was actually a dark brown wood veneer .. not black .. ( so there )

Dorothy, I just took a look at the new photos and left a few comments. Generally they are really well done. Please take my comments as nit-picking as I think you would be happy moving your work to the next higher level. You have some really nice subjects that seem to have co-operated well for you

[Lagoon]

Quick question : - What to you use to clean up the lenses?

[Ross]

New pointer: If folks really want to get more creative with "hang on the wall" quality images (or images that will win a spot in next year's calendar) consider how you do lighting.

Flowers (especially white ones, or those with large areas of white) photographed against a black background will create a situation way beyond the capabilities of any film and most digital camera imagers. So I recommend reducing the blackness of the backgrounds. There are lots of techniques to do this. The easiest is to use a white background (large sheet, large piece of paper, anything you can manage to get placed way behind the subject) and keep it in strong shadow. This will create a gray (even bordering on near-black, at times) coloring. I regularly use 3-4 lights in my studio work and use 1 or 2 reflectors or screens in my outdoor work. I'll create a post with sources for portable screens and reflectors (called scrims in the industry).