Focusing on Two Planes?

soylentgreen · Dec 30, 2007

I have an image that I tried to capture today but just couldn't make it work. Here is the link if you want to have a look: http://www.flickr.com/photos/roninstudio/2149964763/

I was trying to get the subject in the foreground in focus along with the moon in the background. Thought it would make a cool image and all. Stopped down to the max to try to increase the DOF to no avail. This shot was at f/32 I believe. Is there a way to do it with one exposure without using Photoshop? Is it even possible? I do realize the moon is a few thousand miles away. :mrgreen:

DeadEye · Dec 30, 2007

Half lens. Its a close up filter cut in half. Hoya makes one called Split Field.

RyanLilly · Dec 31, 2007

wouldn't being very far away from the bird with a very long lens do the trick?

but, I think I am wrong; the Moon would appear larger but out of focus,

Or, I think a wider lens and moving closer to the bird would be the answer, but the moon would appear smaller yet clearer.

Maybe I am completely wrong here, someone please correct me, I very tired, or more likely an idiot.

Sideburns · Dec 31, 2007

A wide angle lens would have helped you here. More DOF in a wide angle lens.
Also, you would probably focus halfway between the moon and the bird...and hope for the best.

RacePhoto · Dec 31, 2007

This may not solve it, but when you focus, your depth of field is 2/3rd in back and 1/3 in front of the point of focus. It's not perfect and it's not really sharp focus, it's the acceptable range where things appear in focus.

You are focusing at the bird as the point of focus. What you need to try is focus as far behind the bird as you can, where the bird is still acceptable quality, and you will get more depth.

You don't say what lens you were using?

After about f/16 you may start getting circle of confusion loss.

Even easier, two photos, Clone Stamp the moon.

soylentgreen · Dec 31, 2007

Thanks for the input guys. I was using the 70-200 f/2.8. I really could not stand any further back without losing one of the two elements. Roadway is very narrow also and there are alligators all about. :mrgreen: Shot at about 45-50 degrees inclination on my tripod. Was going to switch to the 24-105, but the bird took off. I will try your suggestions on my next trip out though the cloning tool would be easier, I just have issues manipulating my images.

Garbz · Dec 31, 2007

You're taking your depth of field to extremes here. Fortunately there's an easy fix. Take 2 pictures with 2 different focus points and combine this in photoshop. The blue sky should make this trivial.

JerryPH · Dec 31, 2007

one word... hyperfocal. A google will help you out some. That and something like a F/16 aperture are about all you may need. Of course 2 pics merged in Photoshop would be easy and fast!

DeadEye · Jan 1, 2008

http://www.camerafilters.com/pages/split_field.aspx

Or a piece of paper. If you are able to double expose cover half the lans and click then same for other half.

Mike_E · Jan 1, 2008

JerryPH said:
one word... hyperfocal. A google will help you out some. That and something like a F/16 aperture are about all you may need. Of course 2 pics merged in Photoshop would be easy and fast!

:thumbup:

This of course means a wide angle since the hyperfocal on 200mm @ f4 is about 2/3s a lightyear. :lmao:

Darkroom technique is a time honored tool- even in digital.

Joves · Jan 1, 2008

Mike_E said:
:thumbup:

This of course means a wide angle since the hyperfocal on 200mm @ f4 is about 2/3s a lightyear. :lmao:

Darkroom technique is a time honored tool- even in digital.

Exactly. Is that your only shot? If you have one with the moon in focus drag it to the stork pic. Also if you have photoshop you might try using the lasso and, then sharpening only the moon in that shot. You wont get it perfect but, you may improve it to some extent.

JerryPH · Jan 1, 2008

I tried it both ways, just to be able to speak from experience. At a 200mm focal point, F/22 aperture and about 80 feet away from my "subject", if you focus at about 70 feet from the subject, you do end up with the moon and subject being nicely in focus, however in this scenario you get lighting issues with a too dark subject (or blown out moon), and to do it in such a way as to get both the moon and your subject properly exposed in the picture, you need to have the moon be visible under circumstances where its not totally dark *or* you play with a flash on your subject in an attempt to get them to about the same level of light as the moon.

Its a bit of work, and I futzed with it for about 25 min until I got it close to right. It was a lot of trouble that could have been more easily done in PP using 2 quick easy pictures.

It was a good experience though, until the clouds moved in and it started to snow here, but I did learn how to do it both ways. Lots of pre-New Year playing around and fun!

PPing is definately the easier method.