Rambutans Stack

[Stagecoach]

These were on the kitchen counter and it was the colour that that appealed to me.

Placed on a table outside, with no direct sunlight and partially cloudy. The background was a black T shirt stretched over a cardboard box that was angled so as to receive less light than the subject.

17 shots at 1/2.5s, f/14, ISO100 and stacked in CombineZP from the jpegs.



Comments and suggestions welcome as always.

Grahame

[Shadowman]

Nice visual, my eyes fill in what isn't really there; a bit soft and blurry.

[Mike Buckley]

Great color and composition! I've never seen or heard of this fruit, so thanks for sharing.

I could be completely wrong, but the image gives me the impression that all of the bowl and fruit could have been sharply in focus in one capture using a 35mm focal length. Am I wrong?

[JohnRostron]

Looks good. However there is a loss of detail in the furthest fruit against the dark background. The rest looks nice and sharp.

We used to get Rambutans in my local supermarket. Nowadays, we are lucky to find fresh Lychees.

John

[Stagecoach]

Thank you John,

[Stagecoach]

Great color and composition!

Thank you Mike.

Regarding the composition I found it difficult to decide the 'level' that made the plate edge look best when doing the final crop. This has been rotated clockwise so as the left edge of the plate does not go upwards towards the edge.

I could be completely wrong, but the image gives me the impression that all of the bowl and fruit could have been sharply in focus in one capture using a 35mm focal length. Am I wrong?

If framed the same, in camera, with either the 100mm I used or a 35mm wouldn't the DOF be the same (at the same aperture)? I suspect I could have got it all in focus if I had closed down significantly, moved farther away and cropped in post.

I will have a play today and confirm.

But out of interest here is just one of the frames used in the stack.

[Dave A]

Wonderful image, interesting and colorful.

Dave

[Stagecoach]

Looks good. However there is a loss of detail in the furthest fruit against the dark background. The rest looks nice and sharp.

We used to get Rambutans in my local supermarket. Nowadays, we are lucky to find fresh Lychees.

John

Than you John,

[Mike Buckley]

If framed the same, in camera, with either the 100mm I used or a 35mm wouldn't the DOF be the same (at the same aperture)?

Heck if I know; I've never thought about it because I've never had a need to know.

More importantly, I think you're asking the wrong question. I think the question should be as follows: If I want to capture the scene with everything in focus using just one capture, what is the ideal lens to use? (I realize that you may have other reasons for stacking several photos to create your image.)

My answer to that question based on my perception of the size of the fruits and bowl would be to mount my 35mm prime lens. That's because that particular lens has a smaller minimum focus distance and a smaller aperture than any of my non-macro lenses. So, my guess is that I would be able to create this composition using that lens to keep the front area in focus even though it would be close to the lens and that the small aperture would allow me to keep the rear area in focus.

[Stagecoach]

Wonderful image, interesting and colorful.

Dave

Thanks for commenting Dave

[Stagecoach]

Heck if I know; I've never thought about it because I've never had a need to know.

The DoF will remain the same Mike if a 100mm or 35mm are used with the same aperture and the subject is framed the same.

I think the question should be as follows: If I want to capture the scene with everything in focus using just one capture, what is the ideal lens to use? (I realize that you may have other reasons for stacking several photos to create your image.)

Firstly, I stacked the image on this occasion basically to practice my stacking procedure, capture to final image, and at the time I knew that I could have achieved a result I was happy with using just one exposure. Personally, I generally prefer images of this style without everything in sharp focus.

Secondly, "what is the ideal lens to use" if we take this shot as an example and want to get max DoF with one capture is not straightforward.

The image below was shot at 35mm (and I set my camera to APS-C mode) at its closest focusing distance (and the Tamron has very good close focus) and had to be significantly cropped later to frame it the same as the original post one. At this final size that is not a problem but could be if wanting to view or print larger.

I have also had to close down somewhat which will affect IQ by diffraction but I suspect there is even more scope due to the quality of this specific lens.

So I think the answer is that an acceptable picture could be achieved, for display at this size, with one capture using either the 105mm or 35mm (Tamron 28-75mm) and just about everything appearing sharp with careful focus positioning. But the ideal lens is perhaps the one that will frame it in camera as you want the finished picture to be and be the best quality lens you have.

35mm, f/18, single capture


Unfortunately it was not until I took this and looked at it on screen that I realised someone had eaten one earlier

[JBW]

my only suggestion is to not eat them until they get really red

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks for the explanation, Grahame. I realized while reading your post that I had forgotten a very important reason I would normally reach for my 35mm lens when making a photo such as this: I would normally be working in my makeshift studio that is so tiny that even being able to get far enough away from the subject to use an 85mm lens, much less 100mm, would be a challenge if not impossible.

Unfortunately it was not until I took this and looked at it on screen that I realised someone had eaten one earlier

You have come upon a truly unique composition technique.

[Wavelength]

i really like this

[IzzieK]

I was about to mention that missing blurred one...and that would have been a good one too because it was riper than most of what is (was) in the bowl? My eldest son loves rambutan. I always buy it for him when I was still living in Melbourne full time. I like the first shot better but the 2nd one with the blur is nice too, although it would have been better is more fruits were blurred in the background instead of just one. Next time when you got some nice fruits or food to photograph, do it in a separate room. Your dog must have eaten it. It will also be nice if you photograph only one of the ripest one, like Brian said, wait till it becomes redder. but then there are rambutans that ripens to yellow. I will advice about taking a photograph even with just one rambutan. Might be interesting. Try to get one that looks fresher not with wilted skin.

[Black Pearl]

A fun shot and I love your basic setup - my black background is typically a placemat or the presenter folder I use for work

As to stacking shots then typically a larger aperture and more slices will result in a sharper image.

[Stagecoach]

i really like this

Thank you Nandakumar, they taste good as well.

[Stagecoach]

I was about to mention that missing blurred one...and that would have been a good one too because it was riper than most of what is (was) in the bowl?

I wish I had of spotted it earlier so that I could have replaced it

My eldest son loves rambutan. I always buy it for him when I was still living in Melbourne full time.

There's lots in the market here at the moment.

I like the first shot better but the 2nd one with the blur is nice too, although it would have been better is more fruits were blurred in the background instead of just one.

I have other shots with the front in sharp focus and the rear blurred Izzie.

Next time when you got some nice fruits or food to photograph, do it in a separate room. Your dog must have eaten it.

It was the other half, she owned up. The dog has only taken something off the table once, we have now learned to watch him carefully but he's not a fruit eater.

It will also be nice if you photograph only one of the ripest one, like Brian said, wait till it becomes redder. but then there are rambutans that ripens to yellow. I will advice about taking a photograph even with just one rambutan. Might be interesting. Try to get one that looks fresher not with wilted skin.

They are looking a bit wilted now but I'll try and do a single one tomorrow.

[Stagecoach]

A fun shot and I love your basic setup - my black background is typically a placemat or the presenter folder I use for work

I think it's a good example of what can be achieved easily with no special props or lighting.

As to stacking shots then typically a larger aperture and more slices will result in a sharper image.

I have not yet spent any time doing a comparison between apertures when stacking, a project for a rainy day