Freelensing(ish) Orange Things

PixelRabbit · Oct 20, 2013

I've been messing around with a bit of a freelensing technique with an additional 5x's magnification lens (not a camera lens). The DOF is insanely shallow and gives it a unique look that I quite like and look forward to playing with more!

Would love to hear your thoughts, thanks for taking a look!

Licorice Root Leaf

Ladybug

pixmedic · Oct 20, 2013

those are both pretty cool!
can you describe this technique in a little more detail for me? im not quite getting exactly what you are doing...
is freelensing like going commando? ive heard that called something else...

on #1 I think you should clip that leaf in the foreground. i find it distracts my attention from the big orange leaf.
on #2, why did you go with such a wide shot? its still pretty cool, but im just not seeing much appeal for all the green space.

PixelRabbit · Oct 20, 2013

Heya Pix

I have some old lenses that Mr. Rabbit culled over time from various items/places, I suppose they would be magnifying lenses, 5x's and 10x's magnification for all intents and purposes held up in front of the lens mounted on the camera, it reduces the focus distance to nearly touching the subject and depending on where on the curve you place center you get different "falloffs" (yes I'm picking names for stuff out of the air here lol

)

That's funny about the first one, I worked HARD to get that leaf in damnit! lol! I thought it gave it a look like an orange instead of a leaf

Ah yes, that composition ended up like that because I couldn't get it to balance in a closer crop, it just looked mundane, I thought the right side kinda balanced him and gave a small bit of interest in the curves of the leaf, perhaps a little too wide though...

sm4him · Oct 20, 2013

The "orange" simulation idea is cool, but it would have been much stronger if that foreground green leaf weren't so blurred out. I'd get the "orange" better if the front green leaf and orange leaf were both in focus and the background leaves were oof.

In the second, I really like it, but agree there's too much dead space on the right. If it were mine, I think I'd crop half of the left side off (between the ladybug and the left edge) and then I'd crop the right side to just past that oof leaf curvature. For me, I think that would still give it about the same balance it has now, but reduce a little of the dead space--also, that oof leaf curve on the right kinda distracts me from the rest of it anyway.

It's definitely a technique worth exploring. I can see it now; you'll have a whole series of this freelensing technique for your NEXT gallery showing!

PixelRabbit · Oct 20, 2013

Thanks Sharon

I can get onboard with that leaf being too oof, I try to very rarely touch things I'm shooting in nature but I suspect to get this one "there" I need to either find another candidate (this licorice root is growing "wild" in one of the greenhouses) or rearrange this one a bit to try to get it at the very least more in focus, I don't think both ever will be totally in focus with this lens setup though. Thanks for bringing that leaf up too, it has helped me think through the method a little more and playing with how much in focus things are is going to be fun

Ok bad comp on the ladybug, here is a closer crop

astroNikon · Oct 20, 2013

I agree what they said about #1. I really liked it but couldn't figure out what was wrong. I figured out the oddity too - the other leafs are in focus. So that one leaf does throw it off balance. But a great shot/technique none-the-less

:thumbup:

Love the bug one too

pgriz · Oct 20, 2013

Would you please cut it out?!!! I can't keep up with you! All your explorations leave me with an unfulfilled list of things I'd like to try. Do you ever sleep? :hail:

mishele · Oct 20, 2013

pgriz said:
Would you please cut it out?!!! I can't keep up with you! All your explorations leave me with an unfulfilled list of things I'd like to try. Do you ever sleep? :hail:

EXACTLY!! lol