Looking for some C&C please

[JTown]

Im just starting out taking pictures but would like some C&C

1.

2.

3.

 

[SrBiscuit]

i can see 1 and 2 and the colors are great, but it looks like they might be a little bit OOF.
i like your idea of a shallow DOF on #2.

let's see some pics of that S4 though

 

[JTown]

what is DOF?? .... I have posted a few pics of the S4 in the automotive thread think the pics are on page 31 of that thread but those pics were taken with a point and shoot

 

[SrBiscuit]

DOF is depth of field...(someone will chime in and give a MUCH better explaination that i am about to)...basically the distance between the focal point and where things get blurry...

like in your photo #2...you can see that the center of the flower is the focal point, but the petals toward the back are blurry...this would be a shallow DOF because the distance to falloff is just inches from the focal point.
an example of a large DOF would be if you had your S4 parked in front of a row of 20 trees...the car would be in focus, and say maybe the first 15 trees, but the last 5 trees get blurry.

dude, that is the worst, most convoluted explaination of DOF i think i have ever read...lol...

im so sorry for adding confusion.

someone please help me out here.

*EDIT*
i shoulda done this from the getgo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field

 

[Samanax]

#1 - The blurry center part of this flower is ruining the picture for me. The in-focus areas of the image seem very soft.

#2 - Not sure where the focus point in this picture is. The in-focus areas seem very soft.

#3 - Same problem as the first picture...the center of the flower is out of focus.

What camera are you using?

 

[Mtalicarox]

Yeah they seem out of focus to me too

 

[JTown]

What camera are you using?

Im using a Canon XSI with a EFS 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM

i been tring to get more in focus but cant seem to get more then just a small bit of the center in focus not sure what im doing wrong

 

[Mtalicarox]

Are you using autofocus and letting the camera automatically pick your focus points? If you do that and you've got a DOF picture like a macro shot going, then it will choose the closest points to the camera to focus on, which will make the center seem blurry.. I think you would do better choosing your own focus point, like the center one, focusing on that, and then snapping the pic.

 

[JTown]

Yeah im using autofocus thought that would make things easier but im finding out that its not lol With the autofocus i have like 9 dots of focus points but never have more then 2 light up

 

[Mtalicarox]

Yeah im using autofocus thought that would make things easier but im finding out that its not lol With the autofocus i have like 9 dots of focus points but never have more then 2 light up

Keep using autofocus, but select the point it focus's at manually for these types of pictures.

I don't know much about your camera.. i know i have a canon rebel XS (i'd assume it's similar) and on the back of the camera, there is a button all the way to the right that you can push in, then use the spinning knob on the front of the camera to change where you want the focus point to be with the dots.

crap i'm really bad at explaining this.. let me get a picture and a diagram for you.. hahahahaha

 

[Mtalicarox]

Push the button below, and you'll see your focus points come to light on the back display of your camera...

THEN, use this knob to select which one you want the camera to focus on manually. Then aim whichever one you chose to the point you want in focus (i.e. the center of the flower).

Keep turning the knob until all the points are lit to turn it back on the auto seelct feature.

 

[Samanax]

Im using a Canon XSI with a EFS 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM

Good lens. I just got one a few weeks ago and I really enjoy shooting with it.

i been tring to get more in focus but cant seem to get more then just a small bit of the center in focus not sure what im doing wrong

When using a macro lens you have to remember that the DOF is going to be really shallow when you're shooting up close (the closer you get to your subject, the tighter the DOF will be). If you want a deeper DOF you have to use a higher aperture number (smaller aperture opening) like f/16, f/22 or higher. This usually means the shutter speed will be very slow and you'll have to use a tripod...or you can use a higher ISO setting and just accept the amount of noise you'll get. The tripod is the better option...when shooting up close any movement at all will result in a blurry image from camera shake.

Instead of using all 9 focus points, just select one and then you decide on which part of the subject is in focus, not the camera. Page 61 of the XSi owner's manual shows you how to select the focus point.

Oh yeah...when shooting really up close you may want to manually focus instead of having the autofocus keep hunting for focus.

 

[JTown]

Thanx for the help i will try that next time im taking some photos

 

[Mtalicarox]

yeah play around with it.. lets you choose where on the screen your focus is sitting at.. is useful.

 

[musicaleCA]

*coughcough* When using AF, it's generally best to use the centre AF point, then ones that cross the centre vertical or horizontal axis, then others (in order of decreasing resolution and how much light they need to accurately focus; the centre AF point is always you're best bet if you have the time to recompose the shot). If you do this, put the focus point over where you want to focus, then press the shutter button down half-way, then recompose, and push it all the way down to expose. If using a tripod, use mirror lock-up and a cable release to reduce vibrations and get the sharpest image possible.

That, or lend some trust to your eye and manually focus. Learning to manually focus accurately can be a boon, for whenever you're in situations where the AF might get confused (say if things are moving by in the foreground, and you need to focus on something distant, the AF might fly back-and-forth between the two).