A Trick for all you Macro People...

[ThomasT]

Hey guys,

I am going to let you in on a little trick I learned I know some of you know about it already cause I have seen it in your photos. When you go to take a macro shot focus in on your subject first. take the picture then DON"T move! the Refocus in on the background. Take the picture then upload both. In photoshop go and take the too pictures and merge the subject shot into the background shot. It will look a whole lot better trust me!

Just a little tip from me to you,

ThomasT

[Carbone]

I may be wrong but your method, guys, aren't identical... Thomas talks about two pictures being in focus, merging the first and the second, to achieve greater depth of field... Chuck, your method is for creating an "artificial" blurred background... Right ?

I haven't god my first coffee, yet.. that could explain a lot of things.. :D

Ray

[Chuck S.]

My mistake; I was reading Thomas's note way too early in the morning.

Thomas, my apologies; I will try your method to see what it does for my macro photos!

:o

Chuck

[Wendy]

Hi Thomas ...

That sounds interesting ... I too will try it out :)


Wendy

[bayhli]

Hi Thomas,

OK... I haven't had my morning coffee quota either so I have to ask a dumb question.

In order to refocus on the background for the 2nd shot, do you mean to move the camera away from the subject and just shoot the background? I don't think so but how would you refocus on the background without moving the camera?

I don't suppose you could post an image of the expected results...?

No I haven't used my camera much but want to do macro this summer. I'm interested in your tip but can't imagin it without any experience. :rolleyes:

[Carbone]

Pat,

Refocussing for the background doesn't mean showing all the background. What thomas means is, for example, take a flower. If you focus for the center of the flower, at a very short distance, perhaps only the center will be in focus, most certainly not the background. Now, leaving the camera at the same place, you simply focus further away (i.e. if the flower is at 5 inches from your lens, next shot, you focus at 7 inches). Merge the two pictures keeping what's sharp in both, you'll have a greater depth of field this way!

Hope this helps (that's what I understood, if I'm wrong, I'm opened for being publically punished with great force.. lol!)

Ray

[bayhli]

OK then... that makes sense! I need to get off of PE and learn more about picture taking!

I was just thinking, I don't have to wait until summer to learn macro. I have all the lenses and other equip I need so why not practice on objects in the house. Then I'll be ready for those flowers. We do actually have a Florist in this town (if you can believe it) so flowers aren't impossible right now either!

Thanks Ray. I have a long way to go!

[Carbone]

It's easier to practice on "dead" (i.e. as in non moving) objects first. A flower is almost moved by the wind. So, you could try to learn the depth of field by trying to photograph a coin (which, sitting on a table, requires you to play with the f/ number to cover it all).

That's my very little experience sharing for the day.. :D

Ray

[bayhli]

...and good experience sharing it is Ray :) That's where I'll start.

Thanks!

[bayhli]

And good experience sharing it is Ray :) That's where I'll start.

Hmmmmm.... not sure I have a coin this soon after Xmas ;)

Thanks!

[Carbone]

And the same test can be done with a regular lens, if you wanna learn about the depth of field... Put 3 (or more) bottles (for the sake of this experience, use similarly shaped objects, like bottle of spice, or beer, or wine). Put 3 or more in a line, a couple of inches apart from each other, in both distance and angle (so that you can view them all if your sitting in front of them).

Next, take a picture focussing on the middle one. Next, change the f/ number, by increasing it. This test works best using the Av mode (Aperture priority). See what happens.

At the same distance, more bottles in the background will come in focus (and a fewer more in the foreground) as you increase the f number. The rule is 2/3rd back and 1/3rd front.

Increasing the f number actually decreases the light comming in, so your camera compensates by prolonging the exposure time (from, say, 1/250 to 1/125 of a second).

Try this at home, it's safe ! :D

Ray

[Chuck S.]

And, as you close down that aperture (move to higher f-stops), you should consider putting your camera on a tripod - if you haven't already done so. My camera and macro lens are so heavy that I have no choice; I can't hold it steady no matter how hard I try.

Chuck

[ThomasT]

Good ray thats just what I am getting at.. Heres a example of what I am talking about though!

This is the subject image. Now you dont move and if possible have on a tripod and take a picture of the unfocused image.
http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1beIF9q1crziMa30w0TVi8oLtrziuj0

This is the unfocused image. But we will call it the Background Image. Now you take the subject image and cut out the infocus flowers. Then move them to the Out of focus image or Background Image and do any touchups needed like removing the blur that was once the flowers or what is left of them...
http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1dPTzfUtViCmE5hEGDO20gVCaeOX4P0

[GaryK]

Hey Thomas

Thanks for the tip. How you been doing. I haven't caught you around for a while. Been playing with your new toys??????:D :D

[bayhli]

Thanks for posting the images Thomas.

You and Ray have intrigued me and given me some initiative to get off my "duff" to understand depth of field. I read and read but the answer obviously is in doing it to completely understand it.

Dusting off my camera lenses and tripod as we speak!

[ThomasT]

Well I have had school I have been messing around with the camera ALOT!! lol I that right there was one of my many macro shots!

Thomas

[Carbone]

Glad to get you back here, Thomas :D

Ray

[CarolLHB]

Thomas-
Are we starting the chat again Saturday?:)

[ThomasT]

Yep Yep Yep! We are starting the Chat Saturday! So be readyy!!!

Thomas

[Pauline]

School? Aren't you on a 2 week Christmas break? My kids don't go back to school until Monday! :(

[ThomasT]

Yea I am in school right now I am doing a web project and have to come on here to get my pictures.... Yeaaa for web design....

Thomas

[TonyW]

Another "trick" is to use a digital camera with a smaller sensor. An advantage of the smaller sensors in compact digital camera is that for the same field of view at the same aperture you get a much larger depth of field. In the good old days of large format cameras people used to shoot at f64 (and correspondingly slow shutter speeds) to get good depth of field in a landscape shot - todays compact digitals with a small sensors will give you the same depth of field at a wide open f2.8.

Of course if you want to deliberately throw the background out of focus it's harder to do with a small sensor compact digital (you have to stand back and zoom in with the aperture wide open). Or, of course, shoot in focus and blur it afterwards with PSE. ;)

Tony

[ThomasT]

I like that we should let our Point and shoot Users here.

Thomas

[NMarti]

Thomas - what time is the chat and how do I make sure I get in?

[Wendy]

Hi Thomas ...

Oh No ... we have friends coming to dinner on Saturday night :( ... still I maybe able to sneak away for a little while :)


Wendy

[Lynn Dryer]

If they are friends they need to understand "Priorities".

[CarolLHB]

Lynn-:D :D

Nancy, it usually starts at 7 and goes until about 9-just PM Thomas with your email address.:) It's really a lot of fun!

[Wendy]

Lynn ...

Ummm ... not too sure about that one :) :)


Wendy

[ThomasT]

Yep! We start at 7 and end at when ever everyones gone! Just pm me when you get MSN messenger with your MSN email address and I will add you and your set to go!