Bubbles - opinions please?

TwoPinkFaireez · Feb 17, 2008

Hi guys, just wanting opinions on this shot.

I know it's far from great... but I'm so very new to all this and just wondering what others think

Thanks!

It's bubbles from the top of my fish tank.

Erin

Big Bully · Feb 17, 2008

Erin, They look great! I love the colors of the water, blues and oranges, complementary colors, can't go wrong with them. Your bubbles are very clear and even though it is a picture, they look realistic. Very nice job!

Jbs · Feb 17, 2008

they are out of focus.

i like the colors and idea though

TwoPinkFaireez · Feb 17, 2008

Thank you!! I was scared at posting this shot lol...

I cropped a bit off the bottom as there was a lot of 'out of focus' mess there....

thanks for your kind comments! put a smile on my dial

TwoPinkFaireez · Feb 17, 2008

Jbs said:
they are out of focus.

i like the colors and idea though

Where?? I know the bottom part is.... it was sort of meant to be that way, hoping to give illusion of distance..I think...... I like having more then a 'flat' shot sometimes.... lol but I severely failed LOL

Big Bully · Feb 17, 2008

Yeah the bottom is out of focus but that isn't what is the focal point of the picture...

TwoPinkFaireez · Feb 18, 2008

Thanks guys

Any more comments are welcome!

lifeafter2am · Feb 18, 2008

I think in this case the small depth of field hurts rather than helps the photo. The colors are awesome, the concept is great, but IMO a wider DOF would have made this picture much better!

spiffybeth · Feb 18, 2008

lifeafter2am said:
I think in this case the small depth of field hurts rather than helps the photo. The colors are awesome, the concept is great, but IMO a wider DOF would have made this picture much better!

+1

TwoPinkFaireez · Feb 18, 2008

Thanks guys!!

Ummm 1 question.... how do I fix/do/get depth of field?? Is that appeture settings? :blushing:

lifeafter2am · Feb 18, 2008

Correct. You need to bump your aperture up. I would say around f/16 or f/22. Now remember, you shutter speed will increase though, and you might get a blurrier image.

SpaceNut · Feb 18, 2008

Nice idea. Welcome to the Forum!

TwoPinkFaireez · Feb 18, 2008

It was set of 3.5 lol.... so I know to make it higher next time.... :lol:

Thanks spacenut!

elemental · Feb 18, 2008

I really like this shot- excellent colors as mentioned above, and a really nice visual effect overall.

Depth of field is tricky: sometimes I like shallower and sometimes I like deeper. Sometimes I think both work. I actually just posted a "Which Depth of Field Looks Better?" thread in this forum, so that shows how decisive I am about it. With this shot at f/3.5, I think it looks a lot more balanced with the focal point closer to the vertical center. I did a quick crop:

The only thing about using a larger depth of field is that it necessitates longer exposures, which might compromise your ability to get good sharp water.

If you are using a DSLR or other camera with manual focus, I would try manual focus (if you aren't already) for shots like these. When using a large aperture, it will allow you to precisely place your focal point, which as you can see is very important. Autofocus systems tend to not handle shots like this well.

Regardless, I think this is a very nice shot.

TwoPinkFaireez · Feb 18, 2008

Thanks elemental! I really like the crop you did. I like it much better!

I'm so confused, trying to learn what means what and how to use it lol... some people say the DOF on this pic is ok, others don't... so is it more personal preference to what makes a good shot? or are their 'rules' aso to what should be done where... ahhhhh! LOL