DOF OK? (Revived and updated for graigdavis)

LaFoto · Mar 29, 2004

It is from here, from this very Forum, that I have learned the word "DOF", standing for "depth of field" (if I remember right).
It's not that I hadn't heard about the IDEA beforehand, but only in German, which, however, doesn't make so much of a difference.

So here I come with a photo that I'd like to present to you, wondering much about DOF in this one. This whole little tree is budding, so there naturally is quite a "busy" background (all the twigs busily budding), with this "featured" one sticking out at us. How do you like it?

(No technical data available)

mrsid99 · Mar 29, 2004

Please remember that I'm a DOF nazi but in my opinion the DOF is way too shallow, very little of the twig/flowers are in focus.

karissa · Mar 29, 2004

I would have to agree that it is a little two shallow. You had the right idea about getting rid of the background though.

MDowdey · Mar 29, 2004

I like the idea, but i do agree that:

1) DOF is way to shallow

2) Something wants me to see the subject fill more of the frame...

nice work though!!!!

md

graigdavis · Mar 29, 2004

I love it. EVERY other picture like that you see its all in focus. I always think "hey, look, more flowers". This picture made me stop and really look at it. I would like to see the closest tip of it in focus though. I love it.

LaFoto · Mar 30, 2004

Thanks for your comments on this photo. I am very well aware of the fact that the dof is very, very shallow, which is the reason why I have put it up here for discussion. This - like most of the photos I'm presenting - is not exactly recent, and I've had about a year now to wonder myself if I like it or not.

The more I think about it, the more obvious it becomes that this was taken with my 70-300mm lense in the macro setting (which only works in the 200-300mm section). This makes DOF as shallow as about 2mm only, and it makes macro shots a real challenge (a slight wind, or my heart beating in the wrong moment, and I lose it...).

I still decided to have this (along with a good 60 others) enlarged to 20x30cms (that is about the size of a regular sheet of writing paper), just for me to see if the sharpness that seems to be there in the 9x13print (all in cms here) is still there, which it is - this is the scan off the enlargement.

Graigdavis, this spring hasn't as yet advanced far enough for this little tree to be where it was when I took that photo - but I can try to go for the tip of that twig - just for you, OK? In a couple of days the tree should be there.

graigdavis · Mar 30, 2004

LaFoto said:
Graigdavis, this spring hasn't as yet advanced far enough for this little tree to be where it was when I took that photo - but I can try to go for the tip of that twig - just for you, OK? In a couple of days the tree should be there.

Thanks, Ill be waiting

LaFoto · Apr 14, 2004

Have you been patiently waiting, Graigdavis? For now I am back to this thread (which had disappeared to Page 9 by now...!), offering you some updates.

The little tree has worked hard on its leaves and tiny and inconspicuous blossoms, and I have worked hard on some decent photos. The first attempts were a huge failure, nothing would work out and I was mad at myself by the time the photos came back.

Now I've tried again with these results (only a couple from many more attempts):

Here I tried to get the same shallow DOF as last time I took a photo of this twig (or one of the other about two hundred thousand twigs), getting the tip into focus for you.

A close-up of yet another twig, here focussing on the "blossom" (it is one, though it doesn't show too much)

Changing to a very narrow aperture (f-22) to get a much different DOF.

So how about these now?

LaFoto · Apr 15, 2004

Bumping this up for graigdavis to find it...
WHERE ARE YOU?

captain-spanky · Apr 15, 2004

i like the 1st new pic... nice colours, shapes and movement too
i like the DOF in it but there's just something lacking to keep my attention..
dunno why
thinks it's just because i have a short attention sp...

:lol:

karissa · Apr 15, 2004

LaFoto said:
Bumping this up for graigdavis to find it...
WHERE ARE YOU?

:shock: Did he get lost? Noooo!

Oh, and I like that last one the best.

markc · Apr 15, 2004

Cool shots. I like the play of light and colors.

I'm pretty sure that last one isn't f22 though. The whole thing would be in focus. That looks more like f2.2.

One thing you might want to play around more with is the position of the subject and the background. These compositions are fairly center-leaning.

graigdavis · Apr 16, 2004

Im here!!!

Again, I love the shallow DOF. The first one is cool. It would be better if there were some flowers or something on the end. Theres nothing really on the end of the twig to look at. But thats exactly what I was looking for on the original pictures. Thanks LaFoto :wink:

LaFoto · Apr 16, 2004

The point is: this little tree is not having any flowers at the TIPS of its twigs, only a little further down.
I might be having the photo that resembles the first one from years ago most here... let's see:

Yes, that's it. Again only a kind of middle part of the twig is in focus here, i.e. the part with the "flowers". There aren't any more - this is as "flowery" as this little tree can get, I'm afraid.

Yet another one from my "series", again without the tip of the "main twig" in focus... you can tell I tried as I might to catch the same scene over again

.

But then trees are very patient