I looked at my photo library and considered using one of the photos I have to match this week’s theme. However, I wanted to push myself a bit more and go out looking for subjects that would qualify for this theme. I thought it would be more challenging for me. I tend to shoot what I see when I travel. I returned with a dozen images or so from this one location I visited. Clearly, the idea that one can sometimes just turn around and find worthy subjects proved to be true. Although there were more colorful subjects, this particular patch of wild oats got my attention. The key was to focus on three leaves and pray the wind would be calm. Among the various things that oats symbolize, kindness, health, and wellness are among those. I love how delicate the leaves are and how beautiful they look in a macro setting, especially when there is plenty of soft green as a background. I cropped the image just a bit to eliminate two distracting twigs on the URC and LRC.
Specific Feedback Requested
To avoid risking too much blur in case of wind bursts, I used a high shutter speed. I wanted all leaves to be in focus, but I’m not sure they all are at f/11. I think that the focal length might have had something to do with that. I shot at 400mm. Other images I made today suffered from the same softness even more pronounced at times. Getting three flowers on the same focal plane was a challenge. I did not want to try focus stacking. Any suggestions in that area for sharper images when things are in different focal planes? Also, other feedback is welcome overall.
I don’t know how far you were away from the subject, but at 5 feet, the DoF for f/11 and 400 mm is less than 1/4"! Using a shorter focal length and moving closer but still filling the frame with the subject I believe results in the same DoF. (Can some one check me on that?) Only reducing the aperture further will do. I would like to see all of the oats in focus. Also, maybe a little more space around the subject.
Egídio, Ronald is right about dof being controlled by f-stop and magnification, with a longer lens further away giving the same magnification as a shorter lens closer. The difference in a photo is that moving changes the relationships between the elements in the frame. I like the contrast between the seed heads and the nicely textured green background. I’m really enjoying the details in the two main (sharp) seed heads and wishing that the third one was completely sharp. In this case getting all three sharp would mean much more visual interference from the leaf curling in from the left. The magnification problem in this case means more searching for seed heads that are more closely in the plane-of-focus.
@Ronald_Murphy and @Mark_Seaver , I cannot find words to thank you enough for taking the time to send me your evaluation of the problems I encountered. It was very, very helpful to ascertain the suspicion I had. I wholeheartedly agree that having the third leaf in focus is what I should have worked to achieve. Going back to the series I photographed two days ago, I found another photo that may address some of the problems. In this re-do with another image, I see more space around the subject and how pleasing, in fact, it is. Having taken this alternative angle, added more dark areas. I guess that could be solved by editing those out in Photoshop or Lightroom, for example. In all honesty, I do struggle with sharpness. Often I resort to using peaking colors to make sure everything is in focus. If it is not imposing too much on your time, does the third leaf look sharp? The settings were identical to the original photo and this alternate version but, as you obviously can see, the angle was different.
Once again, thanks for your feedback and helpful guidance.
These are very lovely seed heads, and a nice BG. I think the second post has a little more DOF. Zooming wider or moving back a bit will give more DOF, then you can crop in, but it may not be a huge difference. Focus stacking is the best option if you want everything sharp. Or else embrace reality and get a main seed head in focus and let the others go soft enough to make it look intentional. If you can get one in entirely in the focal plane at a larger aperture, you can have a softer BG in the bargain.
@Diane_Miller , thank you for your very helpful assistance and feedback. I appreciate that. I am being stubborn in resisting focus stacking, but I know it’s just a matter of time.
Egídio, the repost is notably sharper and the extra space feels good, although there’s a very slight touch of softness in both the top and bottom seed heads. That softness is only noticeable in the largest view. One way to think about this is in terms of showing such photos, on a smaller display, the slight softness won’t be noticeable, but it would show if on a large display or if you made a 3 foot long axis print. Diane’s point about shooting from further away and then cropping does work, because the magnification at the chip is what determines dof. Cropping, as she suggests, does create the apearance of more magnification at the cost of reduced image quality (fewer pixels), again that gets back to a choice about how (or if) you’re planning display your photos.
The repost looks much better. A product like Topaz DeNoise AI does remarkable denoising but also sharpening. It costs money, but if you wait it often goes on sale.
Once again, thanks to all of you for the feedback.
@Mark_Seaver , I do have the Topaz products and use them frequently, even in cases when the images don’t seem to require a specific type of adjustment. Your point about where the image will be displayed is crucial as to the level of sharpness. With today’s advancements, cropping may not be such a bad thing, especially for a hobbyist photographer, as is my case. When creating an image, my goal is to have something pleasing and acceptable to most. It is not my intent to have a large print of the image.
All of you provided very helpful comments and suggestions. Again, I thank you, @Mark_Seaver , @Diane_Miller , and @Ronald_Murphy, for the valuable feedback. One major takeaway from this is that I should not be too concerned about cropping if that will provide me with a better and sharper image. In comparing the two edits I shared here, I see where I went wrong. Hopefully, I can improve upon that and create better images. That is one aspect of these challenges I really enjoy: the fact I put myself in situations that are different from my normal photography routine, especially when I try to create new photos instead of using my library for the challenge.
I think I will go back to the park where I got those photos and see if I can do more experimentation, especially including images that I know will need to be cropped. All of Topaz AI software apps (Gigapixel, Sharpen, DeNoise) are very handy in fixing some minor problems for online viewing. Onward with more learning.
