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Photo

One of Mother Nature's Finest!

tjays pics.

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20 replies to this topic

#1
Tony

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This photo was taken in Beaverton, Oregon on a cloudy and cold day which had threatening clouds over us most of the day. Fortunately most of the day of shooting was very enjoyable. I do not know the name of the species of this flower, so please enjoy and thanks for looking.

I used my Nikon D70 with a AF Nikkor 35~70mm Zoom Lens.  Here are the particulars.

 

Shutter Speed, 1/125s, Aperture at f/5.6 and ISO 200.  I did not do any Post Photo Editing on this shot.  Thanks for looking and as always any comments and suggestions are very welcome.

Tonytee

 

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  • DSC_1732.JPG


#2
TBonz

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Not much contrast on that one ;)  or it is very overexposed!   :P

 

I think you forgot to attach the image!



#3
OTRTexan

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great shot of white out conditions during a blizzard



#4
Tony

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great shot of white out conditions during a blizzard

The moderator is working on this one.  Made you look!!!  :)))



#5
Tony

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Not much contrast on that one ;)  or it is very overexposed!   :P

 

I think you forgot to attach the image!

Well, here it is.  For some reason I had to drastically re-size this photo.  Now I think it is too small.  Oh Well, sometimes you cannot win for losing.  Tonytee

 

There is a better and larger rendition of this photo in the Gallery Under Nature Section.

 

Tonytee



#6
Tony

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great shot of white out conditions during a blizzard

Actually, I was trying to save money on film.  :))  Tony



#7
Tony

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I believe that this flower is a type of Lily, given that today is Easter Sunday.

Enjoy and please feel free to offer any comments and suggestions.  It seems as though I continue losing sharpness and size when I upload here.

Thanks, Tonytee.

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  • DSC_1733.JPG


#8
TBonz

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I like the flower and exposure in the first image, but don't like the background...the background on the second is much better, but it appears the leaves behind the background are the focus point rather than the flower itself.



#9
deano

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Thinking of Easter, here is a pink rose from my neighbors rose bush. A few days past it's bloom

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#10
Ron

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Yeah, what TBonz said! I too love the flower in the first image.  On the second image the focus is a bit off.  Nice composition tho.

 

Can't do much about the second image. If you miss focus that's pretty much the end of the game. However, on the first image, you could take it into an application like Photoshop then, using layers, separate the flower from the background. You could then add a bit of Gaussian blur to just the background. I'd also selectively desaturate the background to remove the distracting red color.

 

--Ron



#11
Tony

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I like the flower and exposure in the first image, but don't like the background...the background on the second is much better, but it appears the leaves behind the background are the focus point rather than the flower itself.

Interesting observation.  Thanks very much,  Tonytee



#12
Tony

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Yeah, what TBonz said! I too love the flower in the first image.  On the second image the focus is a bit off.  Nice composition tho.

 

Can't do much about the second image. If you miss focus that's pretty much the end of the game. However, on the first image, you could take it into an application like Photoshop then, using layers, separate the flower from the background. You could then add a bit of Gaussian blur to just the background. I'd also selectively desaturate the background to remove the distracting red color.

 

--Ron

I understand and agree with your observations.  Please do not mistake my comment as making excuses, however if you look at the same flower that I have posted in the Gallery Section under Nature, you will see more detail and a larger photograph.  For some reason when I post in the Critique Section, I lose sharpness and size.  Thanks again for your comment, and I am not being defensive or stubborn, but the photos lose a lot here in the Critique Section.  Tonytee



#13
Ron

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I understand and agree with your observations.  Please do not mistake my comment as making excuses, however if you look at the same flower that I have posted in the Gallery Section under Nature, you will see more detail and a larger photograph.  For some reason when I post in the Critique Section, I lose sharpness and size.  Thanks again for your comment, and I am not being defensive or stubborn, but the photos lose a lot here in the Critique Section.  Tonytee

 

I just looked at the second flower image... DSC_1733.Jpg in your gallery and it looks exactly the same (on my monitor and web browser) as the image here in the critique section. It's exactly the same size and the image sharpness and non-sharpness is the same.

 

When I photograph flowers, it's very important for me to have the stigma and/or stamen (the center part of the flower) in focus. If I miss that... and I have on numerous occasions for one reason or another, the picture is perceived as being un-sharp. Even if everything else in the picture is sharp. And, it usually can't be saved. It's much like portrait photography. If you get the eyes sharp, the rest of the photo will usually be perceived as being acceptably sharp. Miss the focus on the eyes and the rest of the photo falls apart. It's really that simple.

 

In your photo, that's the part where it looks like you missed the focus a bit. Autofocus will sometimes guess wrong about what's important in a scene and that's when you have to switch to manual focus and force the camera to focus on what's important to you. If you look at the first flower photo, the stigma is sharp and well defined. This is what the eye is drawn to... the rest of the photo can be soft but as long as the center of the flower is in focus then the photo works.

 

--Ron



#14
Tony

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I just looked at the second flower image... DSC_1733.Jpg in your gallery and it looks exactly the same (on my monitor and web browser) as the image here in the critique section. It's exactly the same size and the image sharpness and non-sharpness is the same.

 

When I photograph flowers, it's very important for me to have the stigma and/or stamen (the center part of the flower) in focus. If I miss that... and I have on numerous occasions for one reason or another, the picture is perceived as being un-sharp. Even if everything else in the picture is sharp. And, it usually can't be saved. It's much like portrait photography. If you get the eyes sharp, the rest of the photo will usually be perceived as being acceptably sharp. Miss the focus on the eyes and the rest of the photo falls apart. It's really that simple.

 

In your photo, that's the part where it looks like you missed the focus a bit. Autofocus will sometimes guess wrong about what's important in a scene and that's when you have to switch to manual focus and force the camera to focus on what's important to you. If you look at the first flower photo, the stigma is sharp and well defined. This is what the eye is drawn to... the rest of the photo can be soft but as long as the center of the flower is in focus then the photo works.

 

--Ron

We are apparently looking at the two photos differently.  I just looked at both and the gallery edition is better and larger.  Getting to your point regarding focusing, I do now remember using manual focus on the first image with the green stamen.  Also, regarding the second focus, I do remember relying on autofocus.  You indicated that when the auto-focus malfunctions to switch to manual focus.  My question is how can a person know while shooting that auto-focus is failing?  After all, a person cannot see that on a 2" screen no matter how long you look for it.  Your point is very well presented and my job now is to not rely on auto-focus.  I do need to contact the moderator about why I am seeing two different sizes of the same photo.  Anyway, many thanks for your input and assistance.  

 

Tonytee



#15
TBonz

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You can enlarge the image on the 2" screen...it won't buy you everything, but it will help...with AutoFocus, you need to be sure that the camera is using the focus point that you want on the part of the image you want in focus...

 

Take a look at some of the threads here on back button focus.  I have my cameras set to back button focus and a single (usually the center point) focus point.  I use the back button to focus that point on the area I want in focus and then I have my focus set...I can recompose the image as I wish and it will still be focused on that point...I use it all the time, but it is quite valuable for some sports shots - such as good focus on the batter and then recompose so I can get the view I want...If you are using the shutter button for focus, especially with lots of focus points, it can change the focus point to one you don't want before the shutter is fired...

 

Here are two images as examples...the first with my D4 and 105 Micro...to me it isn't perfect, but it is certainly close...when zoomed in it looks like the focus is more on the flower the bee is on rather than the bee...

 

Buzz-8932.jpg

 

The other I shot down in FL - loved the lighting and focused as Dean suggested above...I don't remember if I used my 105 Micro or my 24-70...I think it was the 24-70 though...

 

FortDeSotoPark-1482.jpg

 

To me, it really doesn't matter if the shot is of a flower, a landscape, a bird, animal or person (moving or not), the goal is to get tack sharp focus on the critical part of the image and select an aperture that will give you more or less in (or out) of focus area to make it the best photo possible...with sports (and with other subjects at times) that means subject in focus with enough blur in the background so that the subject pops from the image as below (D4, 200-400)...

 

JJHardy-2171.jpg

 



#16
Ron

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We are apparently looking at the two photos differently.  I just looked at both and the gallery edition is better and larger.  Getting to your point regarding focusing, I do now remember using manual focus on the first image with the green stamen.  Also, regarding the second focus, I do remember relying on autofocus.  You indicated that when the auto-focus malfunctions to switch to manual focus.  My question is how can a person know while shooting that auto-focus is failing?  After all, a person cannot see that on a 2" screen no matter how long you look for it.  Your point is very well presented and my job now is to not rely on auto-focus.  I do need to contact the moderator about why I am seeing two different sizes of the same photo.  Anyway, many thanks for your input and assistance.  

 

Tonytee

 

It's not that the AF malfunctions. The camera just picks a point that the algorithm in it's CPU determines should be the point of interest and makes the AF center on that. Since it's a dumb machine and can't possibly know what you're thinking or what you want, it sometimes (often in fact) makes mistakes. That's when you need to switch to manual and focus on what you want to be sharp. When I photograph flowers or, indeed, anything else, I often will zoom in on the monitor image to make sure that focus is correct. The image may look fine until you zoom in. 

 

--Ron



#17
Tony

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It's not that the AF malfunctions. The camera just picks a point that the algorithm in it's CPU determines should be the point of interest and makes the AF center on that. Since it's a dumb machine and can't possibly know what you're thinking or what you want, it sometimes (often in fact) makes mistakes. That's when you need to switch to manual and focus on what you want to be sharp. When I photograph flowers or, indeed, anything else, I often will zoom in on the monitor image to make sure that focus is correct. The image may look fine until you zoom in. 

 

--Ron

Alright, I did not  intend to imply that there was a malfunction with my AF Focus.  I mean that it can be inaccurate.  However as TBONZ mentioned about  Back Button Focus, my Nikon D70 is not that sophisticated.  Regrettably, I will have to rely mainly on Manual Focus, which I believe is better anyway.  I am giving some very serious consideration into upgrading, but at this point I am not certain as to which equipment.  I like the reviews on the Nikon D700, but like anything else, it takes time.  thanks again,  Tony



#18
Tony

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Here is another nice looking flower.  We have finally caught a break in the awful weather we have been experiencing here on the Wet Coast of Oregon.  Yes, I mean Wet.  Again, I am wide open to any comments and suggestions.   That is how we all learn.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Tony

 

P.S. I see the intense white bordering nearly surrounding the entire flower.  Mama said there'd be days like this.  I just cannot seem to win.

How do I prevent this from happening again?  Thanks,  Tony  Just click on the image to see the problem.  No flash was used.

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#19
Ron

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The focus is much better on this photo. The white border which I see mainly on the top edge of the flower looks to me like an over sharpening artifact. I would either back off on the sharpening a bit or apply a bit of blur to just the edge of the flower to help blend it in. The fact that the fern leaf in the top left hand corner also suffers from these artifacts seems to verify this.  Otherwise, this is a pretty good image.

 

--Ron



#20
Tony

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The focus is much better on this photo. The white border which I see mainly on the top edge of the flower looks to me like an over sharpening artifact. I would either back off on the sharpening a bit or apply a bit of blur to just the edge of the flower to help blend it in. The fact that the fern leaf in the top left hand corner also suffers from these artifacts seems to verify this.  Otherwise, this is a pretty good image.

 

--Ron

Thanks for your input, Ron.  My images will be much sharper from now on, since I will be using only Manual Focus.  Ciao,  Tony


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