Today's attempt at practicing DOF

[Shambhala]

Still not quite right... :S hmmmmm.... This is not an easy thing to get. I think it will be worth practicing and trying till I can get it right.

[Rasbury]

Still not quite right... :S hmmmmm.... This is not an easy thing to get. I think it will be worth practicing and trying till I can get it right.

Hello Shambhala.I don't think the DoF looks to bad in this photo as both ducks are in focus and the background and the branch in the foreground are out of focus somewhat.As i am new to this forum myself i have found out that sometimes you'll get elements in your photo that don't fit because of where angle of view is at the time of shooting.I keep telling myself to slow down and take a good look at the subject closer to see where there might be problems.The main thing i see wrong in this photo is the branch in front ofthe duck on the right and the one hanging from the top.Other than that it's not that bad looking.Keep practicing and you can only get better from there.
Ron

[Shambhala]

Thanks Ron, I agree!! I really appreciate the feedback. I just started taking photography at school and am trying to get the "basics" down. I think I have too much running through my head of all the things I have been taught but haven't mastered yet. Right now we are working on DOF which to me is difficult. I used to just snap a picture, but now I feel like I need a flight checklist like a pilot of all the things I am suppose to be doing to get a good shot. LOL, I think that will come naturally with practice. (well I am hoping anyway.) I still can't take a decent picture with everything in focus. I am going to have to learn quickly because I have to hand my photos in on Tuesday. Yikes!

[Steve S]

Hi shannon, since your practicing DOF, you might want to shoot in Aperture Priority mode. You pick the aperture and the camera will do the rest. This will let you concentrate on depth of field without having to figure anything else out.


A few things to keep in mind when practicing..............

A large aperture f/1.4 will give you a very shallow depth of field. ( This will also increase shutter speeds )

A small aperture f/22 will give you a very large depth of field. (This will also give you slower shutter speeds and you may need a tripod)

Distance to the subject will change the depth of field. If you are really close, the depth of field will be narrower than if you are further away.

Depth of field typically starts 1/3 in front of the focus point and 2/3 in back of the focus point. So if your depth of field was 3 feet(hypathetically), 1 foot infront of the focus point and 2 feet behind the focus point would be in acceptable focus.

Review your photos on the camera screen and zoom in so you can see if you have enough depth of field. Then make the proper adjustments to get the depth you want.


Hope this helps



Steve

[Wirefox]

mmmm Ducks. OK you are forgiven. You are young and easily influenced.

Actually you have done a great job of the drake and they are both isolated nicely. The clutter in the background is always going to be an issue - focus blur or no. What spoils it far more for me are the incidental details. The branches and twigs particularly the one obscuring the duck. It is so difficult in a natural environment to avoid these things but a step or two either side can make a massive difference. The white balance looks off by a fair bit. However, a quick look at the colour channels would suggest not although the blue channel is a little stretched on the right. Nevertheless, there is a yellow/orange cast. It may be the light of course.

If you are looking to demonstrate DoF I think you are probably being far too ambitious with your subject matter. It might be more rewarding to have a go at a still life - the simpler the subject the better. That way you will get minimalist impact combined with a clear demonstration of 3 dimensional composition. Just a thought

[Shambhala]

Wirefox, Yes I agree, sometimes though it's not always possible to step to the right or left, like in this case I would have ended up in the lake LOL. But I will definitely keep that in mind for the future. You are right, the colours are off because I had the white balance set on cloudy and it was actually sunny. I don't really know a lot about WB yet. We haven't learned about it yet. Maybe I am being too ambitious. I think I will take your suggestion and try taking something still and practice that way first. !! Thanks for your help. Although, it is still fun trying... eventually I will get it.