Bokeh Bike

[Trever1t]

My Girl by Trever1t, on Flickr



Spent a few hours washing waxing. Like?

 

[KmH]

The background is kind of busy and the bike is underexposed.

When you have a bright background and your subject in the shade, it helps to add light to the subject, either reflected light or strobed light. In your shot light from camera left would have been nice. (light advances, dark recedes)

Strobed light gives much more subject 'pop' because you can control the exposure of both the background (ambient light) and the strobed light separately.

Bokeh and DOF are not the same thing. Bokeh is the quality of a blurred background and is mainly a function of the Circle of Confusion a lens produces.

 

[Trever1t]

I thought about bring down some flash....thank you very much, I'll give that a try.

 

[changoleon]

where's the bokeh?

 

[JerrfyLube]

The background is kind of busy and the bike is underexposed.

When you have a bright background and your subject in the shade, it helps to add light to the subject, either reflected light or strobed light. In your shot light from camera left would have been nice. (light advances, dark recedes)

Strobed light gives much more subject 'pop' because you can control the exposure of both the background (ambient light) and the strobed light separately.

Bokeh and DOF are not the same thing. Bokeh is the quality of a blurred background and is mainly a function of the Circle of Confusion a lens produces.

I would more or less completely agree with this.

 

[Frequency]

I also stand with a conforming attitude to the above quoted remarks; i want that bike; regards

 

[Trever1t]

Maybe I'm a bit confused, when I look at the background (cropped in) I see a nice round shaped blurry feature, is that not bokeh?

how about the watermark?

Thanks for the feedback and Frequency, speak $ and it could be yours!

This was shot behind my garage after I washed it, I'll have to take it to a nicer location.

 

[thatfornoobs]

Nice composition!

 

[KmH]

Maybe I'm a bit confused, when I look at the background (cropped in) I see a nice round shaped blurry feature, is that not bokeh?

how about the watermark?

....

The bokeh looks nervous and the background isn't sufficiently blurred to really demonstrate the quality (good or bad) of that lens' circle of confusion.
Most people regard good bokeh as being creamy, or smooth (cream cheeze bokeh), unless there are specular highlights in the blurred background (which your photo doesn't have) that can rendered as circles, know as Hollywood bokeh. Bokeh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Circle of confusion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The watermark obscures details of your main subject and the font used is kind of old-fashioned looking to me. The copyright statement is not valid (no year), is redundant, but sure doesn't hurt letting people know you care about your photos.

 

[JerrfyLube]

I'll admit, at first glance, I did not even see the watermark.

Though, im fairly certain I was too distracted by the busy background to notice.

In this case, a LONG telephoto lens, wide open, would have done you a fair amount of good of getting some separation between the bike and the background and would have given you that "creamy bokeh" we all so very much desire.

That, or find another location.

 

[Trever1t]

I used my 70-300vrII (my longest tele...

Exposure 0.003 sec (1/320) Aperture f/4.8 Focal Length 116 mm ISO Speed 200

As it was I was a good 10 meters from the subject to fit the frame.


I will try again at a more pleasing location, the coast perhaps and bring along a couple of remote flash.

 

[RBS]

its a nice photo, but i see no defined bokeh.

 

[JerrfyLube]

I used my 70-300vrII (my longest tele...

Exposure 0.003 sec (1/320) Aperture f/4.8 Focal Length 116 mm ISO Speed 200

As it was I was a good 10 meters from the subject to fit the frame.

4.8 is a relatively narrow aperture at 100-ish mm's to expect any sort of background blur unless your subject is up very close. Because you were shooting a large object though, being close was not possible. Shooting at 300mm from a further distance would have compressed the background down a bit and would have given you much more of the blur you are looking for.

If distance allows, set the bike up in the same position and try it at 300mm. I think you will be much more pleased with the results.

 

[Trever1t]

I can get a good view from across the street, thank you, I will give it a try! I have no reflectors though, any suggestions regarding lighting from that distance?

 

[JerrfyLube]

I have no reflectors though, any suggestions regarding lighting from that distance?

Try shooting either early in the morning or late in the evening when the sun is low in the horizon(I prefer late in the evening). Pay close attention to where the light is falling on the bike and make sure its either completely in the sun or completely in the shadows.

I really don't see much wrong with the lighting in the picture you posted. Is it a stunning photo? No...but its exposed properly given the bright background and darker foreground and the light is far from harsh. The bike could have used maybe a 1/2-3/4 stop more light though but since you don't have reflectors, dodge and burn baby!

Give it a shot!