Christmas set up with lights and help with AF

[Derrel]

Well...you can use the speedlight's flash power setting and the LED exposure time and the f/stop used as the basis for calculating different exposures. Flash was at 1/8 power, so 1/4 power would be one stop smaller than f/2.8, so f/4 at 1/4 power. At 1/2 power, you could move to f/5.6. At full power, you could get an f/8 aperture for the flash part of the equation. Of course, on the LED lights, you'd need to slow the shutter down by three, full EV values from where you shot the original dog and sled picture. Using an aperture of f/8 will make the LED lights that are out of focus look smaller than they would at f/2.8, but you might be able to get some decent-looking background light bokeh nevertheless.

Slow shutter speeds, AKA "dragging the shutter", can often show no signs of motion blurring on people...it depends on how fast they are moving, and how close the ambient light is to the flash's output level.

Remember this: the FASTEST way to build depth of field is generally...to move the camera farther away from the subject. Depth of field increases very rapidly at indoor distances, as the camera-to-subject distance is increased. Stopping down helps too, but moving the camera father away from the subject can really, really help at portrait-type ranges.

Fir the dog shot, I see zero problem with the sled being out of focus; it is a hint, a reminder, a gentle clue to the snowy season. If the sled were in crisp,clear focus, I think it would compete with the dog for attention.

As far as shooting a group picture at f/3.2 from close range...kind of sketchy. But...from a longer distance with say, an 85mm lens, you could get away with it perhaps.

 

[vintagesnaps]

I think f3.2 seems too large an aperture, you'll probably need to use a smaller aperture than that to get them all in focus. My starting point, not for portraits but in general, is usually f8. Then I'd go maybe f5.6 or larger like f4 depending on what I was photographing. If you can do test shots at different apertures you can see what's in focus and how you need to adjust.

 

[CherylL]

I've widened the BG and extended the base forward by adding another blanket. Looking at the DOF calculator, the 50mm at f3.2 has a focus area of 2.31 ft vs the 85mm at f3.2 is 0.78. With the little ones I am thinking the shutter speed should be 125 for movement. That would entail adding the lights in PS that don't show up. I'll work on practice shots the next few days. Daughter wants solo photos of the baby and will bring her over without the other two. The group shots would be a different day. I can set up accordingly and not have to fiddle with the settings.

 

[Designer]

I've widened the BG and extended the base forward by adding another blanket. Looking at the DOF calculator, the 50mm at f3.2 has a focus area of 2.31 ft vs the 85mm at f3.2 is 0.78. With the little ones I am thinking the shutter speed should be 125 for movement. That would entail adding the lights in PS that don't show up. I'll work on practice shots the next few days. Daughter wants solo photos of the baby and will bring her over without the other two. The group shots would be a different day. I can set up accordingly and not have to fiddle with the settings.

You might try stopping down even more. Maybe lots more. f/5.6 ought to be your starting point. Even smaller wouldn't hurt a thing. To throw the BG out of focus, move it back as far back as you've got space. This is the prime difficulty with most home studios; not enough space in which to stretch everything out like it needs to be. Good luck!

 

[vintagesnaps]

That might work well to be able to do this in 'shifts'! lol the baby then the group another time, sounds like a plan.

I'm not too sure I'd rely on that DOF calculator. I learned shooting film (which I still do) but with a digital camera I can take a couple of test shots and look and see what I'm getting if need be. As long as you can do some practice shots then you can make adjustments (before someone with children shows up!). I think f5.6 or f8 would be what I'd try too.

I don't know why people want the background out of focus all the time. With the lights it makes sense, but other props or decorations might as well be out of the frame and not in the scene if you don't want them in focus. I just find that whatever is there is still going to be part of the picture, it just ends up being blobs of color and shape but can still be visually distracting. If the sled or whatever is there and it adds a Christmas feeling, then it's going to be part of the picture so you might as well be able to see it.

 

[CherylL]

I finally had a chance to try to get photos of the grandbaby. At 15 months she is in charge. I did get a few usable ones still to edit. A few of the out takes. The three grands will be next week.

Toddler Triptych by Cheryl, on Flickr

 

[smoke665]

At 15 months she is in charge.

See now why I said stop down for DOF, and use duct tape

She is a sweetheart!! Even though they don't follow instructions and have a mind of their own, I love shooting little ones.

 

[CherylL]

At 15 months she is in charge.

See now why I said stop down for DOF, and use duct tape

She is a sweetheart!! Even though they don't follow instructions and have a mind of their own, I love shooting little ones.

Forgot the duct tape! A slow shutter speed would not have worked. The pups were much easier. The other 2 are older so hopefully they will co-operate.

 

[vintagesnaps]

I like the third one of her turning and looking at you/the camera. That's a sweet one. Looks like the penguin got wiped out in the process! lol That just made me laugh.

It probably would just help to have someone helping you, but that isn't always practical. In the end you got some nice photos. When she's a little older you'll probably be able to do more; you're right with younger ones we're on their schedule, they're not on ours.

Well she's wonderful, and you've at least got some good years between 15 months and 15 years to take lots of pictures!

 

[Derrel]

Cute child, wonderful holiday clothing outfit. Pretty sure some of these pics will become treasured childhood memories! I LIKE the set you built and lit!

 

[CherylL]

I like the third one of her turning and looking at you/the camera. That's a sweet one. Looks like the penguin got wiped out in the process! lol That just made me laugh.

It probably would just help to have someone helping you, but that isn't always practical. In the end you got some nice photos. When she's a little older you'll probably be able to do more; you're right with younger ones we're on their schedule, they're not on ours.

Well she's wonderful, and you've at least got some good years between 15 months and 15 years to take lots of pictures!

Thanks. My daughter was helping and the little one did not want to co-operate. We had toys, a rocking horse which she likes and a rocking chair. She was throwing the toys at me and laughing. It was all a big game to her, but at 15 months what else is there.

 

[CherylL]

Cute child, wonderful holiday clothing outfit. Pretty sure some of these pics will become treasured childhood memories! I LIKE the set you built and lit!

Thanks Derrel, I took the advice about the background should be wider and I added another blanket to the floor to get the subject further away from the BG. I am taking family member photos on Christmas Day so the set will at least get some use.