The Old Red Swing.

[jiro]

After a severe heavy rainfall this afternoon, everything around the house became so melancholic. I can't describe what I'm seeing, it's more like a bluey or sad but not so sad atmosphere. I took some shots of the old red swing at the backyard before but I can't seem to capture that expression that I want from my shots so I just kept them unedited on the computer. Today, the way the ground is soaking wet, the trees with all that deep contrast from the heavy rain, and the stillness of the air, I was again mesmerized by the simplicity of this old swing that we have. I took my D70, put my 50mm f1.8D lens on it and took a shot. I want to isolate the background a little bit so I opted to use the 50mm lens since I can open up the aperture to as low as 1.8. However, It's a bit hard to get the focus right on this lens at f1.8 so I chose f2.2 as my opening. There are some rays of sun peering through the clouds and it gave the scene that little warm that I need to complete the vision that I have in my mind. I took the shot and transferred the image to the computer and edited it. Here is what came out after the edit. Thank you very much for viewing. C&C is always welcome in any of my shots.

Click on the image to see it in lightbox.


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Nikon D70, Nikon 500mm f1.8D lens, Exposure at ISO 200, f2.2 at 1/125 second. Color processing in Lightroom 3.

[abhi]

Nice shot as always, Jiro. The big tree in the middle is a little disturbing to me though. Maybe because the brightness and tones are similar to that of the top side, and back of the swing. As for the mood, it seems to me like a nice secluded spot where I would go for just brooding over things.

[vicphotog]

I think you've really captured melancholy here Willie, the red swing is quite vibrant against the dulled and soft background..
I like it but would try a slight cropping on the right, the one tree trunk creates some darkness thats distracting for me

[jiro]

Nice shot as always, Jiro. The big tree in the middle is a little disturbing to me though. Maybe because the brightness and tones are similar to that of the top side, and back of the swing. As for the mood, it seems to me like a nice secluded spot where I would go for just brooding over things.

Thanks for viewing, Abhi. We don't have a very nice backyard and this is the only angle that would work with the swing so I shot it this way.

[jiro]

I think you've really captured melancholy here Willie, the red swing is quite vibrant against the dulled and soft background..
I like it but would try a slight cropping on the right, the one tree trunk creates some darkness thats distracting for me

Thanks for viewing, Rachel. I will do another edit on this one and see what I can do with the right side of the image. Thank you.

[abhi]

Thanks for viewing, Abhi. We don't have a very nice backyard and this is the only angle that would work with the swing so I shot it this way.

That looks like a nice backyard to me You should see ours

[KTHXBAI]

I like it. I wouldn't change a thing. Very nice. Personally I wouldn't crop it any more. The negative space on each side has almost a perfect 2:1 ration.

[jiro]

I like it. I wouldn't change a thing. Very nice. Personally I wouldn't crop it any more. The negative space on each side has almost a perfect 2:1 ration.

Thank you very much, Michael.

[ucci]

Okay Wilie time for a comment from the peanut gallery, namely me. I very much like it. And to me it speaks of melancholy, yes, but for me it evoked a sort of sadness in having lost the private moments which cannot be recalled and which have passed by here at the swing.
I think the trees are great and really provide support without intruding or taking attention away from the prime focus on the swing. However what is the brown object to their left? Is it a rock or a pile of leaves? Whatever it is I reckon taking it out would remove a distraction. But that is only my feeling on the matter.
Ken

[Donald]

Willie

A very lovely image, packed full of emotion and atmosphere.

I think you chose just the right aperture setting. The swing seat is perfectly in focus against the slightly blurred background. But any more blur in the background and we would have lost the context of setting, etc. Any less and we would have lost the attention being clearly on the swing.

The only thing that distracts me is that light coloured wall right at the back just at the edge of the left-most tree. I'd want to dull it down a bit.

[MiniChris]

My overly critical eye (of course, only to work other than my own ), says the Depth of Field is far too abrupt given the placement of the swing in relationship to where the blur begins. You have it so the blur is not just immediately behind the swing, but below and even in front and that no can be.

If the area directly under and somewhat to the front and rear were as sharply focused as is the swing, then I could buy it and be happy with the purchase. As it is, I have to wonder if my purchase is a bit on the PS hmmmmmmmmmm, side. This is a DoF technique which works wonderfully with flowers and other small objects but which must be carefully considered when approaching objects larger than a bread basket.

Other than that, it is a marvelous shot and as always, I am quite jealous I didn't shoot it.

Oh, and to others reading this, the camera will shoot this scene all day long. The camera will just about shoot anything you set your eye upon to emulate, but that doesn't mean it is okay to pass off as "real' or to use to create a certain mood if the mood isn't "real." My eye sees a 'floating in space" swing with no connection to anything...therefore, my eye "wonders."

[jiro]

Okay Wilie time for a comment from the peanut gallery, namely me. I very much like it. And to me it speaks of melancholy, yes, but for me it evoked a sort of sadness in having lost the private moments which cannot be recalled and which have passed by here at the swing.
I think the trees are great and really provide support without intruding or taking attention away from the prime focus on the swing. However what is the brown object to their left? Is it a rock or a pile of leaves? Whatever it is I reckon taking it out would remove a distraction. But that is only my feeling on the matter.
Ken

That's a big boulder rock, Ken... and it's heavy! I can probably lift it up using photoshop. LOL! Thanks for the comments.

[jiro]

Willie

A very lovely image, packed full of emotion and atmosphere.

I think you chose just the right aperture setting. The swing seat is perfectly in focus against the slightly blurred background. But any more blur in the background and we would have lost the context of setting, etc. Any less and we would have lost the attention being clearly on the swing.

The only thing that distracts me is that light coloured wall right at the back just at the edge of the left-most tree. I'd want to dull it down a bit.

Thanks, Donald. Actually I already toned it down a bit during the edit. I'll tone it down some more. Thanks for the suggestion.

[jiro]

My overly critical eye (of course, only to work other than my own ), says the Depth of Field is far too abrupt given the placement of the swing in relationship to where the blur begins. You have it so the blur is not just immediately behind the swing, but below and even in front and that no can be.

If the area directly under and somewhat to the front and rear were as sharply focused as is the swing, then I could buy it and be happy with the purchase. As it is, I have to wonder if my purchase is a bit on the PS hmmmmmmmmmm, side. This is a DoF technique which works wonderfully with flowers and other small objects but which must be carefully considered when approaching objects larger than a bread basket.

Other than that, it is a marvelous shot and as always, I am quite jealous I didn't shoot it.

Oh, and to others reading this, the camera will shoot this scene all day long. The camera will just about shoot anything you set your eye upon to emulate, but that doesn't mean it is okay to pass off as "real' or to use to create a certain mood if the mood isn't "real." My eye sees a 'floating in space" swing with no connection to anything...therefore, my eye "wonders."

Thanks, Chris. Guess what... I did not do any post-processing bokeh on this shot. The DOF effect you see is all from the 50mm lens itself. I think I still need to study this little lens further. I posted another shot last night about the lego figurines and the bokeh was really abrupt. Even though the figures at the back are only inches away from the main figures, they were blurred considerably. On this shot, the big trees are about 8 - 9 feet away and yet the bokeh was not the too blurry. I think with this lens, the closer you are with it the greater is the bokeh effect. I am about 10 - 12 feet away from the swing when I shot this. Pretty interesting, huh.

Here's the shot SOOC with no editing yet.

[abhi]

I think with this lens, the closer you are with it the greater is the bokeh effect. I am about 10 - 12 feet away from the swing when I shot this. Pretty interesting, huh.

Isn't that true for all lenses? I've certainly noticed the same with my 50mm, as well as the 55-250mm.

[jiro]

Isn't that true for all lenses? I've certainly noticed the same with my 50mm, as well as the 55-250mm.

I guess so. I'm still trying to learn a lot about the 2 lenses that I have. Remember, I only had my DSLR and 2 lens last November, 2010.

[MiniChris]

Thanks, Chris. Guess what... I did not do any post-processing bokeh on this shot. The DOF effect you see is all from the 50mm lens itself. I think I still need to study this little lens further. I posted another shot last night about the lego figurines and the bokeh was really abrupt. Even though the figures at the back are only inches away from the main figures, they were blurred considerably. On this shot, the big trees are about 8 - 9 feet away and yet the bokeh was not the too blurry. I think with this lens, the closer you are with it the greater is the bokeh effect. I am about 10 - 12 feet away from the swing when I shot this. Pretty interesting, huh.

Here's the shot SOOC with no editing yet.

Velly interesting. I've noticed the same with my 50mm and the faster the lens, I am sure the more abrupt the blur. Mine is a 1.8 and I think you once said yours was a 1.4 which, though by only a .4 differential (sort of), a considerably faster lens. In looking at the before and after shots, I wonder if you had closed down another stop or two if you could have corrected for the abnormal bokeh. It really isn't that big of a deal but is something that always catches my eye. In your hanging "kite" post, having it float in the midst of nothingness fits the scene and occasion, so it doesn't bother my internal referencing.

I also wonder if you had left the scene as light as it is in the original if that element would have sufficed to keep my eye in a relative reference frame: aerial perspective, so to speak.