Today, after the rain, Blushing Beauty Tulip

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Wink Jones

Wink Jones

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I a not totally happy with this image, the 20mm 1.8 is extremely shallow and I did not discover how shallow until after sunset. Thoughts on how to improve this, both before and after the shot are appreciated.

Hmmm, the exif does not show. D500 20mm F 1.8 ISO 250 1/640 hand held

Blushing beauty-1935.jpg
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Aside from the very shallow DOF, that is a beautiful image! The water drops on the in-focus parts are very nice.

After the shot, I don't think there's much that can be done, unfortunately.

Before/during the shot, two options come to mind:
1. If you shot wide open at f1.8, stop down. Greater minds on here will have a better idea, but I'd guess f5.6-8, maybe even f11 (at the risk of diffraction) would give you better DOF.
2. If you have the time and the same setup, maybe some focus stacking? If you had that same shot in front of you, keep the very shallow DOF but run a series of shots from front to back. That would keep that creamy background but also render the tulip and water droplets sharp.
 
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MikeJ said:
Aside from the very shallow DOF, that is a beautiful image! The water drops on the in-focus parts are very nice.

After the shot, I don't think there's much that can be done, unfortunately.

Before/during the shot, two options come to mind:
1. If you shot wide open at f1.8, stop down. Greater minds on here will have a better idea, but I'd guess f5.6-8, maybe even f11 (at the risk of diffraction) would give you better DOF.
2. If you have the time and the same setup, maybe some focus stacking? If you had that same shot in front of you, keep the very shallow DOF but run a series of shots from front to back. That would keep that creamy background but also render the tulip and water droplets sharp.
Click to expand...

Thank you Mike J. Can I do focus stacking hand held? I have not ever done one yet, but I am making the assumption that it would need to be on a tripod with no wind moving the flower back and forth. If I had been able to run inside and download the pictures, I would immediately have gone back out and taken the f stop to an F8 and then checked to see how that was looking.

I will try running the sprinkler on the garden tomorrow, since no more rain is in the forecast.
 
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Hey Wink - I know there are those that do focus handheld, but my attempts have all been on a tripod. I'm concerned I wouldn't be steady enough to line up each consecutive shot.

Please post your next attempts, I'm excited to see what you come up with!
 
One idea for next time, where hindsight is always spot on, is to angle the camera so the sensor is more parallel to the plane of the flower. That way the top would be a little closer to the plane of sharp focus.

You can try focus stacking handheld. The breeze is more the issue, not left to right nor top/bottom movement because the software can align the images, but the flower getting bigger and smaller from you rocking or the breeze moving the flower closer or farther. Try using a stick to stabilize your hand to rest the camera on, like a painter's Mahlstick, and waiting for a calm spell. It looks odd, but I carry around 3 cut up driveway markers around 18 inches long with a rubber band wrapped around the top. Held in the claw of my left hand spread out like a tripod, to stabilize my hand. Off course a tripod works too if your's goes low enough.
 
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bleirer said:
One idea for next time, where hindsight is always spot on, is to angle the camera so the sensor is more parallel to the plane of the flower. That way the top would be a little closer to the plane of sharp focus.
Click to expand...

That is a brilliant thought, only obvious after it is given to my attention. Thank you, bleirer.

This was an awkward photo to get, one knee on a narrow wall of rocks between one level and the next in my garden and my back foot down a level, trying not to knock down any of my other plants. I had to bend way over to get my eye on the view finder as with the camera held for a vertical long border, I could not use the live view plate and keep the camera properly oriented. I am looking forward to the more fully articulated live viewer on the Z9 when I finally get it. I am running the sprinkler now and will see if I get proper droplets on the bud when I return from walking the dog with my wife. Thank you for your input!
 
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MikeJ said:
Hey Wink - I know there are those that do focus handheld, but my attempts have all been on a tripod. I'm concerned I wouldn't be steady enough to line up each consecutive shot.

Please post your next attempts, I'm excited to see what you come up with!
Click to expand...

Thank you Mike J. At 75, I KNOW I am not steady enough to line them up hand held, so I will try bleirer's excellent suggestion and also a larger depth of field to see which solution serves me best. I am suspecting a combination will yield the greatest results.

Wink
 
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For those of you watching this thread, I am going to start a new one. I used the advice given and got better photos, but it was TOUGH!
 
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