Project 52 By Wendy Stanford

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Originally Posted by Goldcoastgolfer

I agree with Al on the DOF. I'm not a macro photographer but I've found that f/5.6 is much to narrow for macro photos that I've taken.

There's some really good elements to the photo but I think more of the flower in focus would really make this one shine. I think also perhaps that you don't need as much negative space on the right.

Oh, I love that background by the way. It contrasts well with the yellows of the flower and those clouds (I think that's what they are) give the background a dreamy special effect type look.

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Thanks Malcolm, the background is actually a rock wall, these flowers grow wild and I was lying on the grass to take the photo, from memory there was a breeze that if I narrowed the aperture too much it would have blurred, I did actually have a closer crop on the right but I thought it looked better with a space for the flower to look into :)

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Originally Posted by Rob Douglas

Depending on the look your going for f/5.6 is not going to give you much DOF. This is one of the main reasons that lighting is so important in macro photography. f/22 is going to give you a much better DOF but requires much more light.

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Thanks Rob, You are right about the lighting in Macro, It is all about getting everything to work together isn't, If I increase the DOF, motion blurr becomes a problem, My focus was on the green part of the flower with back petals to be OOF, but the front ones are a llittle soft as well, I will have to wait for them to come back and another go.:)

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Originally Posted by Sam Smith

Wendy, Very nicely done. I am not sure that a increase DOF will be that much of a benefit as the contrast, and the detail of the pedals would look close enough to the same. I personally will lose my concentration when there is to much dof on a shot. Macro is not something I do but I do like looking at them. I think you captured what you set out to do.

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Thanks Sam, I find Macro quite addictive, but sometimes the keepers are only 1 image in 10, you only have to move a mm for the focus to in the wrong spot:)

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Originally Posted by ScoutR

Nice Wendy, are you going to be able to keep up this pace for 52 weeks. Both shots are so unique and lovely. I agree about the DOF on the second, but a great shot as is. Looking forward to see what you are up to next week.

Wendy

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Thanks Wendy,
Have quite a few things on my project list for the coming weeks, having to submit something each week will keep me focused and interested to try new things, well thats the plan :D

It had been raining and I thought I would try water droplet reflections, haven't tried before but have admired the images of others.
Armed with Macro lens and tripod went out between showers, there was some breeze but not much.
Results - not as clear as I hoped, perhaps I need a set of extension tubes, and a remote release, my lens is 100mm Macro but couldn't really get enough magnification, had to crop quite heavily, introduces quite a bit of noise,

http://i42.tinypic.com/23tp5av.jpg
F8, 1/160, iso 500

http://i39.tinypic.com/2zovuwm.jpg
F8, 1/40, Iso 500

http://i43.tinypic.com/21ozbl4.jpg
F10, 1/125, Iso 500

This is something I will try again, using differnet angles, in the meantime have to wait for rain, and do some research

Wendy, Good job. I like the reflections, I think I like #2 the best but #1 is a very close 2nd. I am thinking you can live the noise.

Hi Nice reflection.......i like it

Hi Wendy! Nice work, looks really great! I love the colours in the reflections on the first one. I need to try this. Somehow, though, I just didn't envision you with white streaks in yout hair!

That's great work Wendy. I definitely think you can live with the noise - it doesn't take away from the droplet and the reflection at all.

Thanks Sam, Girish , Frank, Malcolm for your comments, I think I have learnt that there is no room for any movement at all and that the focus has to be spot on.
Frank in that last one hubby came to see was I was doing, he was hanging upside down, I rotated him ! :D

Hi Wendy,

I think they're pretty good, much better than my efforts once.

You can always "Neat Image" away the noise if you don't like it.

Link to an image in my makeover album (to save corrupting this thread)

Cheers,

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Originally Posted by Dave Humphries

Hi Wendy,

I think they're pretty good, much better than my efforts once.

You can always "Neat Image" away the noise if you don't like it.

Link to an image in my makeover album (to save corrupting this thread)

Cheers,

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Thanks Dave, I tried neat Image but it skewered the reflection inside the droplet too much, I would like to be able to produce slightly clearer droplets, all that is required is a rainy, no wind, Sat or Sun
in the middle of Summer :D

Try making a copy of the image and apply Neat Image to the copy. You can then blend just the parts you want changed and not touch the drops. Neat Image may have a way of selecting what is changed and what is left original as well.

great shot wendy, always look foreword to seeing your posts.

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Originally Posted by FrankMi

Try making a copy of the image and apply Neat Image to the copy. Yocn then blend just the parts you want changed and not touch the drops. Neat Image may have a way of selecting what is changed and what is left original as well.

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Thanks for the suggestion Frank, one of my project goals is to improve my PP skills. I use Elements 9.
The words "blend just the parts you want changed" is not something I have tried, but I try will rectify that :D

Wendy, no need to wait for rain to do water droplet shots. Either a spray bottle of water or a medicine dropper with water will do the trick. Then you can put the drop where you want it for more control of the composition.

Excellent. Seriously though did you capture the reflections in camera or were they put in afterwards. I ask because I've tried to get reflections in droplets and my droplets were OK but no reflections. How do you manage to get such perfect reflections???

Nice work

Wendy

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Originally Posted by ScoutR

How do you manage to get such perfect reflections???

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That was my question too.

I think the second of the three .......

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Originally Posted by Wendy Stanford

http://i39.tinypic.com/2zovuwm.jpg

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....... is super. The lighting in it is wonderful. As well as the reflection.

Thanks for the comments, the reflections are in camera, you have something fairly close behind the water drop.
I understand it to be like the refraction of light through a converging lens that gives an inverted image, eg the one of the face I inverted to make the face of my partner upright, the background colour is his face. :)

This week I wanted to photograph birds in flight, I have a 70-300 lens that I haven't used alot, I wanted to try panning and keeping the bird in focus.
I went to a lagoon on my way to work just after sunrise, there wasn't enough light and the shots that I took were hopelessly blurred, I kept the following images as I liked the light.
In both images the birds are a bit soft, but I liked the way the sunlight reflected off the tree and birds.

http://i44.tinypic.com/4sitk4.jpg
F5.6, 1/100, Iso 200, Focal Length 300m, handheld

I quite like the colour and the way the light was shining through the wings of the Australian Darter
http://i43.tinypic.com/bk8w7.jpg

F5.6, 1/80, iso 200 focal length 300mm, handheld

I will have to go back at a different time to try the birds in flight :D