bjwags

Just want to ask yu experts about pictures I took of some of my flowers today. These are of some mini orchids i just got recently, they are on a table in front of a large window. The pictures turned out good in my uneducated opinion. but the backround is too bright. What kind of backround would make these better, not so bright? i am basically happy with these pictures and am still learning about exposures. I have a Canon EOS 5i a for these I used a 17 - 300mm lens. i dont have a macro lens, just this one and a 135mm and a 50mm. I am interested in macro but close ups are ok if i can do it.
What do you think? Good enough for Nat Geo, or Better Homes and Gardens, Birds and Blooms???

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

I think they are pretty but they lack a sharp focal point. With a shallow depth of field like that the center of one of the flowers in very sharp focus will make a striking image. That is the type of flower pic I try to emulate.

Here's a link to one of my favorite shallow depth of field, sharp center focus, flower photos by a photographer who posts his work on flickr.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rokkor_58mm_1k2/6269147879/in/faves-43864030@N00/

bjwags

Thank you Bob, but how do I get a sharp focal point? I am new to photogaphy and learning mostly by reading and taking a lot of pictures and playing around with the exposures. I dont quite i understand the little lights in the eye piece for focus - the little squares in the view finder. I cant figure out how to use those. thank you for replying so quickly!

golfercat Loc: Southern Calif

It would help if you included the EXIF data so we can see what your settings are Other wise we can only guess for suggestions to help you

ggttc Loc: TN

They are soft as far as focus goes....Settings would help alot.

Not that soft is bad in these situations...but I think you may be looking for more crisp shots.

Single spot focus...open the lens wide.

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Dan Downie Loc: Rochester, NY

I really like the second shot, but agree about the focus. You should break out the owners manual and learn how to set your focus point to a single point and how to move that point across any of the nine available cross type AF points. Set the point you choose on the part of the flower you want to be in sharp focus. Anything on that same plane and slightly before or after it will be in focus, depending on your aperature setting.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

nice images but backgrounds are distracting, main subject is in shadow (underexposed) and images are soft. Not ready for the publications. However, you are on the right track as far as choosing and composing your subject. You can go high-key which means that the background is light, but you still have to put some light on the front of the flower. You can do this by placing a reflector very close to the flowers to catch the strong backlight and reflect some to the front of the flower, or you can just use an off-camera flash, with a flag - a barrier to prevent light going to areas you don't want, in this case the background.

These were taken during a recent trip to the NY Botanical Gardens, using a radio trigger fired, off camera flash, a D810 and a Sigma 150mm F2.8 macro lens. Even though I used a macro lens, these are closeups, not macros. I held the camera in one hand, and the flash in the other. The flash was typically around 8" away, give or take. Because it was set to manual at 1/16 power and the distances between the flash and subject were close, there was a bit of "chimping" where I frequently check the back of the camera for proper exposure.

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high key, bounced fill flash in front

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bounced flash sidelight, flag to prevent light reaching background

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berchman Loc: South Central PA

How were you able to hold that big and heavy camera and lens steady in one hand? What did you use for a flag?

SteveTog Loc: Philly

Great first effort!


To get better I recommend this: Experiment and learn. Try a bunch of stuff. Put any kind of back ground you want up there but don't block all the natural light; because it's purdy. Try shooting from different angles and using any old cloth or solid object you find around the house as a back drop. If a shot doesn't work, you've learned something.

Light colored objects like a white card or the white top of a tupperware thingy, held in the right place, can reflect some of that natural light back onto the dark side of the subject. That will change the photo so much you would be amazed. Mess around with that for a while. See if you like those shots. See what you don't like. You are learning more about your camera system every time you do this.

When you run out of ideas how to mess with the flower, re-read your camera manual. Now the stuff in the manual will make more sense.

Take a lot of photos, they're free and that's how you learn. Look at a lot of videos on the internet (about photography.) They're free and that's how you learn.

When you find a photo on UHH that you like and they bring up a term describing that photo that you haven't learned yet, Google the %^&* out of it. It's free and that's how you learn.

ABJanes Loc: Jersey Boy now Virginia

I think this might help you relative to camera settings https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/simple-dof-calculator/id301222730?mt=8 You could consider draping a white sheet or a translucent shower curtain over your curtain rods by the window or tape them up. This will help diffuse the light and should give you a more appealing backdrop. Also use a tripod or double your shutter speed relative to your lens MM setting. i.e. 100MM = 1/200

ABJanes Loc: Jersey Boy now Virginia

The intensity of the outdoor light will change during the day also there maybe a window in your home that faces North that would give you softer light.

Harryd68959

Following in love with your flower photos is so natural and that sustains you on to taking many many more photos and learning how to affect the outcome. Eventually you will be your own most difficult critic. The enjoyment from this first beautiful attempt will last forever.

johnpolizzi

I shot these on table top by window light. First, use your window light on the face of your subject, not in the background. I propped up some green tissue as a background and angled the subject to best take advantage of the available light. Secondly, use a tripod and set your f-stop to get the dof you want. Your zoom likely gives you about 1:3 magnification, so close ups are doable.

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gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

I'll try to keep this pretty basic. The little squares you see are from the focusing sensor, they're like points of focus, lots of them. In different modes, your camera can use just one of them at a time or the average of all of them in a matrix mode. You need to learn how to set a single spot mode because, if you're seeing multiple squares, it's using a matrix mode in an attempt to average what's in the field of view. It's a similar concept to matrix versus spot light metering.

To get more into the weeds, the focus sensor can use a range of these squares from 9 up to 54, depending on make and model of camera. And in a spot focusing mode, you can move the focus point around in this array to different parts of the scene. That's why most folks recommend a spot focusing mode, it keeps it fairly simple. Just put your little square on the point that you want to be in focus.

One more thing. When you're in a spot focusing mode, you can move the little square around with your arrow keys. If it looks like it's not in the middle, then just press the OK button to re-center it. You might want to check out some YouTube videos on your camera model and "focusing modes" but be aware some are a bit confusing.

bjwags

ok, i will check that