not cropped, fa 50mm

[davidhampshire]

i kinda tend to like black and white photos a lot,   and on the darker side,   think this too light , or dark?   

[calsan]

I think the exposure is right, but it's a bit too moody, IMHO.  How about trying more contrast?  Maybe back-light the brushes with a bit of flash or sunlight?

[Ron Kruger]

Looks a little dark to me, and your DOF is too narrow. All of the brushes (or only one) should be in focus. I would add some light as Cal says and stop down a bit. Include EXIF info.

[davidhampshire]

maybe one of those reflector cards held somewhere near the brushes?   or on a stand maybe?     and not sure what calsan means by too moody,    is that the subject or the light?     so what f setting should i have used?   f8?       (  50mm,    f2.5,    1/13th second,  A priority,   -0.7 ev,   iso 320 )       thanks for the input.    dave

[calsan]

By moody, I just mean that it's all pretty similar tone - mid greys.  Whereas more bright whites and deep blacks would look more energetic.
I have a Pentax AF360 flash that can be triggered wirelessly - I sometimes place it hidden behind a subject to produce a bright outline - it can look really good - but like everything, it's possible to overdo it!

[davidhampshire]

the flash triggers when the shutter is pushed i imagine?   must be ,  right?    ron uses fill flash a lot,     can fill flash be adjusted for strength or intensity?         

[Ron Kruger]

You can adjust flash intensity by setting the flash to M mode, but when using it as a slave, it is even easier just to vary the distance or direction of the flash from the subject. If you want to keep the background books blurred, f-8 would be too wide. Set the shot up and take a series of shots, stopping down from the f-2.5 one f-stop for each consecutive shot, then compare them. These kind of experiments teach a lot about using and controlling DOF for effects. I'd also suggest using MF for each of these shots to maximize the hyperfocal distance. Go past the brushes, to where the books are in focus, then slowly come back until you just catch the nearest brush each time.

[Pacerr]

. . . stopping down from the f-2.5 one f-stop for each consecutive shot, then compare them. 

Good advice, and I'll add a time saving tip: Bracket your initial trials with two or three stops difference; you'll zero in on the f-stop range you're interested in quicker and it'll be easier to recognize the DoF differences. You can then finesse the smaller range of f-stops if desired.

Referring to a DoF chart as you do view the results will add meaning to the trials -- it catches your attention when you see the DoF expressed in fractions of an inch and gives you a frame of reference for adjustments.

H2

[davidhampshire]

thanks,   and a setting on the camera for exposure bracketing,   correct?     not sure i understand what the last sentence,   the dof chart ,   means ,    i'll look that up.    thanks

[davidhampshire]

a little more light in this shot     f 2.8 vs 2.5     is it still moody?   

[Ron Kruger]

Light is better, but DOF is still too narrow for my tastes. Either stop down or arrange the brushes so they are all basically the same distance from the lens--and focus carefully.

[spyglass]

David,

I like the "mood" or weighted toned of your first offering. To create a heighten attention on the brushes and make them more of a key element in the photo I would increase their illumination a bit. It appears that the light source was located off camera right. A reflector placed off camera left would easily direct in fill light to bring up the level on the brushes left hand side. Reflector can be bent and shaped to deliver light to where is is most needed. In small applications like this a piece of white paper can work well. My favorite DIY is a crumpled up ball of tinfoil that you un-crumple and spread on a piece of cardboard. The wrinkled silver surface offers an even higher contrast light fill.


Like others, I would like to see the brushes more in focus. When it comes to DOF think of boxes. The aperture setting defines the length of the box. Your can move around within the box (when in focus) or move outside the box before it and after it (when out of focus) depending on your focus selection. So when you are considering an aperture for this shot do not feel that you must use the perfect aperture setting that provides a box where the brushes just fit inside and are located dead center of the box. The box could be longer, the brushes located at the far end of the box. Any "unused" in focus region in front of the brushes would be your wiggle room and not impact on your photo.

Take a look at this Online Focal Calculator and play around with it. You can enter the focal length of your lens,  distance to subject, and aperture setting. The calculator will indicate the near and far focus points. It could be an excellent learning tool for you. You could experiment with your brush shot.



Spyglass

[Pacerr]

    not sure i understand what the last sentence,   the dof chart ,   means ,   

Try this on-line DoF calculator:

http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

As an example:  A 35mm lens at F 4 focused at 10 inches has less than  one-third of an inch of reasonably sharp focus. When you consider that's less than half the diameter of a dime coin it gives some perspective to the consideration of depth of field and the importance of aperture selection. A 50mm lens at F 1.4 focused at 3 feet has less than three quarters of an inch of reasonably sharp in-focus image - about the diameter of a dime or half the length of a nose in a portrait.  It's eye-opening and sort'a fun to explore this topic.

You can also download DoF freeware and print out paper charts for the situations you frequently use.

H2

[davidhampshire]

ok,   i'll see if i can get a handle on this depth of field stuff,       always thought that to let more light into the photo,   i'd just want to dial in a wide aperature,   so the lenses with f1.x  to f 2.8's are the ones to get,   but more complicated than that 'ain't it' .   

[spyglass]

David,

Here is a link that shows you how to make a Dial Type DOF calculator.  (the site offers a free download of the program) Could be fun to make one.


Spyglass