Playing with DOF

[JeffieLove]

Lol thanks Bitter

I did raise the aperture and lower the shutter speed, but I didn't want to make the shutter speed TOO slow because then they would have been even more blurry... I will take the necklace upstairs to my "mini studio" and play around a bit more

I checked your EXIF info, prior I thought you used 1/10 for the top 3 images, and only changed it for the last. I rechecked. You used 1/10 for the first 2 images, so you already started falling behind when you did adjust it.

Are you looking at your light meter to set your exposure?

Don't mean to pick on you, but when I read "playing" and "lazy" I tend to throw my hands in the air and walk away. :meh:

lol, it's k I don't blame you... I know some of us are more serious all the time than others

Anywho, I haven't quite learned anything about the light meter... I am pretty much comfortable with aperture and shutter speed (I don't play with ISO too much because I haven't quite figured out what is too high...)... I am comfortable with custom WB (thanks to dom's school)... I will hit youtube up about the light meter thing though unless you feel like explaining it to me

 

[thebeatles]

Metering mode - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[JeffieLove]

posted the reshoots in the first post

 

[thebeatles]

posted the reshoots in the first post

Much better. :thumbup: Motion blur is gone, now just work on getting a correct exposure and achieving a pleasing DOF.

 

[JeffieLove]

I was trying to figure out which of the DOF's I had was the best...

Is that something I should google? What is the "right" DOF?"

 

[thebeatles]

I was trying to figure out which of the DOF's I had was the best...

Is that something I should google? What is the "right" DOF?"

There is no right DOF. Whatever strikes you a "right" is right. Shallow DOF can be overused and become redundant, (I am guilty of this), but when done tastefully, it can add a lot to a photo. If you want to isolate a subject from the background, shallow DOF is your friend.

 

[kundalini]

... I did do custom WB though...

Then why is the background color ever changing? Sorry dear, but nothing seems to be the main focal point, there is sloppy cropping (whether by in camera comp or post crop), the ever constant horizontal lap of "background" media is really poorly executed. Neither is it used to its potential. These are test shots that miserably failed, but not without its teachings.

A few things to note. Prop up your background so that it is a sweeping seamless. Get something that is taller than your FoV and tape it down. The seamless effect is quite effective.

There's something else, but I gotta go for now.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Basically:

This is your meter.
Pretend it's a game.
"0" is what the camera thinks is a perfect exposure.
If in your first image, the bar was at zero, when you raised your aperture (smaller hole) for the second image, the bar would have moved toward the -2 indicating underexposure. Your job is to keep the bar at zero. You do this by lowering your shutter speed till it hits zero.

To confuse you, you could also get the bar to zero by raising your ISO.
But in your situation here, your ISO doesn't need to change. You are playing with depth of field, so you are setting your aperture to change the DOF, now you need to change your shutter speed to get the bar back to zero.

This is how you should think about taking pictures.
#1 how much light do you have? Low, set a high ISO, lotsa light, use a low ISO
#2 how much DOF do I want? Set your aperture.
#3 select the shutter speed that gives you a zero on the meter.
Tadah!

This is very basic. But a good starting point. There are times when you need to maintain a certain shutter speed, and that's when you start using ISO and aperture to get the bar back to zero.

Go try it now!
Get your meter to zero, then raise your aperture. Watch how far the bar drops or rises when you change it. See how many stops you need to change the shutter speed to bring it back up.

Your camera is making an educated guess as to what is a correct exposure. Your experience over time will tell you when to disagree.

 

[JeffieLove]

... I did do custom WB though...

Then why is the background color ever changing? Sorry dear, but nothing seems to be the main focal point, there is sloppy cropping (whether by in camera comp or post crop), the ever constant horizontal lap of "background" media is really poorly executed. Neither is it used to its potential. These are test shots that miserably failed, but not without its teachings.

A few things to note. Prop up your background so that it is a sweeping seamless. Get something that is taller than your FoV and tape it down. The seamless effect is quite effective.

There's something else, but I gotta go for now.

In the reshoot, the best I can tell you is because of exposure... I did the custom WB every time I changed locations/lighting...

What exactly do you mean by propping up the background? I am using two pieces of the foam core posterboard... one standing up in a gap of sorts in the table, the other laying down... Sorry if I sound completely stupid... that's about how i feel at the moment

What is FoV?

I know the cropping is sloppy... I wasn't going for perfection :/ Next time I want to post pictures for a certain reason, I will make sure they are perfect all around first

 

[JeffieLove]

Basically:

This is your meter.
Pretend it's a game.
"0" is what the camera thinks is a perfect exposure.
If in your first image, the bar was at zero, when you raised your aperture (smaller hole) for the second image, the bar would have moved toward the -2 indicating underexposure. Your job is to keep the bar at zero. You do this by lowering your shutter speed till it hits zero.

To confuse you, you could also get the bar to zero by raising your ISO.
But in your situation here, your ISO doesn't need to change. You are playing with depth of field, so you are setting your aperture to change the DOF, now you need to change your shutter speed to get the bar back to zero.

This is how you should think about taking pictures.
#1 how much light do you have? Low, set a high ISO, lotsa light, use a low ISO
#2 how much DOF do I want? Set your aperture.
#3 select the shutter speed that gives you a zero on the meter.
Tadah!

This is very basic. But a good starting point. There are times when you need to maintain a certain shutter speed, and that's when you start using ISO and aperture to get the bar back to zero.

Go try it now!
Get your meter to zero, then raise your aperture. Watch how far the bar drops or rises when you change it. See how many stops you need to change the shutter speed to bring it back up.

Your camera is making an educated guess as to what is a correct exposure. Your experience over time will tell you when to disagree.

That was a good, understandable explanation for me Long story short, I need to make sure the bar is at 0 I don't think I have ever taken a "properly exposed" picture then

 

[thebeatles]

What is FoV?

Field of view I believe.

 

[kundalini]

In the reshoot, the best I can tell you is because of exposure... I did the custom WB every time I changed locations/lighting...

There seemed to be a gradual decline of the background color.

What exactly do you mean by propping up the background? I am using two pieces of the foam core posterboard... one standing up in a gap of sorts in the table, the other laying down... Sorry if I sound completely stupid... that's about how i feel at the moment

You have the background in lanscape orientation. Try turn it 90° and your camera axis, gather up your necklace stands and see what you get!

What is FoV? [

Field of View

I know the cropping is sloppy... I wasn't going for perfection :/ Next time I want to post pictures for a certain reason, I will make sure they are perfect all around first

try as we might............