frankNichols Loc: The Villages. FL

Thank you, yes, the shutter speed was way too low. I was hoping the VR would save the image - LOL. Just goes to show, never rely on VR. :)

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

Do some experimentation....I often find VR and slow shutter just don't work for me anymore, I get many more keepers with faster shutter.... (I was "rock steady" in my younger days, but now, some days good, some not so much). I don't think the D7500 has the Toshiba sensors that the D71 and 7200 have, think the 7500 is also ISO Invariant, but I'd sure test the ISO kick up and faster shutter speeds, see what you get. Between induced vibration, wind movement, bobbing and weaving, sometimes little shaky, constant lighting changes, big lenses can be a challenge handheld. Have fun, looks and sounds like a great kit to play with!

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

There are some things you can do with your camera settings to ensure focus on what you want, and if you need to limit depth of field, and you are as close to your subject as possible, you can get a simulated shallower depth of field using the Quickmask tool in Photoshop.

First - you'll need to set your camera to Live View, manual focus and turn off AF-On focus activation from half-press of the shutter. And use the Live View screen to zero in on the part of the subject that has to be sharp. Using F5.6 as your aperture, Live View will give you an enlarged view to help establish precise focus.

Using a Plamp or similar stabilizer will help keep the flower still during focusing and shooting.

https://kathyadamsclark.blog/2020/02/27/flower-photography-gadgets/

This is the first part of getting the best focus on the area of the image that you are seeking.

The second part is best explained in this blogpost I wrote in 2012. You can skip the first part that describes the perceptual component of why things look miniaturized in some photos - taking into consideration lighting, color saturation, focus and bokeh. The second part is the "how to" using Quickmask, gradients, and either the Lens Blur or Gaussian Blur filter. I wrote it using Lens Blur, but you should try Gaussian to see if you like it better. By tweaking the width of the gradient and its feathering to adjust the effect.

http://pixeldiarist.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-miniaturize-photo.html

This should get you to where you want with your image.

Post the results when you get a chance!

http://pixeldiarist.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-miniaturize-photo.html

BTW, magnification - not focal length - is what will determine depth of field - a 200mm lens at F5.6 and 1:2 magnification will have the exact same magnification and depth of field as a 100mm lens at F5.6 and magnification of 1:2, though the working distance will be shorter with the shorter lens.

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

VR only stabilizes the camera, not the subject. Using a Plamp as I described in my previous post will let you use longer exposures, as long as you have solid support for your camera and lens.

frankNichols Loc: The Villages. FL

Thank you, I agree with everything you said.

I have a D7100 I carry as a second body. I try to keep the D7100 below ISO 800, with the D7500 I can go up to 4000 before I get indigestion. But, I don't like noise, and I don't like the removal options very much at this point. Hopefully, AI will be giving us some nice options in NR soon.

At 71, I completely relate to the "not so rock steady" anymore - LOL. And weighing in at 5lbs the 200-500 is a challenge, I consider it a part of my exercise workout - LOL.

frankNichols Loc: The Villages. FL

Outstanding advice, thank you very much!

cfhelz45 Loc: The Villages, Florida

Hi Frank,

I am in LaBelle South.

Carl Helzing

frankNichols Loc: The Villages. FL

Hello Carl, I am in McClure.

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Very good shot, Frank.

Fredrick Loc: Former NYC, now San Francisco Bay Area

I had a neighbor a few years ago who moved to the Villages and told me it had 100,000 residents. Are they still growing? Is new construction going on? Just curious.

frankNichols Loc: The Villages. FL

They are selling about 400 homes per month, and the rate is increasing at the moment. They just bought enough land to add about an additional 75,000 homes with associated golf courses, shopping centers, urgent care facilities, etc. There are currently about 40 executive golf courses and about 12 Championship golf courses.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I love hibiscus, so I shoot them at every opportunity. I've found that because they are very large flowers and because I normally shoot them at close range, it's hard to get enough DOF without getting too much. Sometimes zooming in from a distance works. In the original image posted, the sharpest thing is the leaf below and behind the main flower. That's not something that would affect what you're actually questioning, but it was something that I noted. At times, when I have wanted to separate two blossoms, I have actually had someone hold the second blossom further back. That helped to give me a greater distance between the two and helped with the depth of field that I actually wanted. Obviously if you're by yourself, you can't do that. I hope any of this helps.

frankNichols Loc: The Villages. FL

Thank you, good advice.

Cwilson341 Loc: Central Florida

I know you'll get some good advice but I just want to say the photo is very, very nice just as it is. Welcome aboard!

profbowman Loc: Harrisonburg, VA, USA

I think your photos are good. But your post made me go back and look at a few of my close-ups of stigmas from a few years back--really from 2013. I have attached one here. At that time, I was using a Canon PowerShot SX30 IS, a superzoom/bridge camera. So, I looked at the EXIF data to see what exposures and such I used.

ExposureTime - 1/500 seconds
FNumber - 4.00
ISOSpeedRatings - 80
FocalLength - 4.30 mm

I am not sure I believe that last value, the focal length. I am not sure how that was determined. I'm fairly sure this was a close-up shot.

As to suggestions for you, I don't think I have any except to note that all three that I thought came out good from back then are taken at similar angles. That is, they are looking down along the pistil or stigma onto the petals. I think that gave me more real estate uppon which to focus. --Richard