Shooting through a fence

T

ToddnTN

TPF Noob!
Joined
Jun 24, 2013
Messages
85
Reaction score
17
Location
Nashville, TN
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
Trying to take some pics of my daughters softball game did not go very well.
The field has 10' chain link fences all around the field in most places and even the short fences are 6'.
So I tried to shoot though the fence but most of those ended up looking like I had vaseline smeared on the lens, just very hazy.
I was at f4 to f6 most of the time shooting a Nikon D7100 with 2.8 or faster glass.

Does anyone have any tips for the next game?
 
A lens can NOT focus on something that is RIGHT in FRONT of the lens...that's out of focus...but a few inches in front of the lens starts to become just barely recognizable...at a few FEET in front of the lens, the fence links act like a "diffraction grating" or cross-star filter, and they TERRIBLY impact the light that forms the image and create a weird type of soft-focus effect... squint your eyes, and look at your eyelashes--see how you can BARELY even see them??? Works similarly.
 
Yeah, last time I shot baseball, I put the lens up against the fence and shot wide open.
 
Yup, as Derrel said.
First shot was take with lens hood touching standard chain link fence (EXIF is incorrect as it was a Sigma 300mm f/4 not 2.8)
Second shot was taken two feet away from fence ... notice the colour streaks from the fence.



 
Last edited:
And by getting right up to the fence you can be sure to actually shoot through a specific hole in the fence, thereby putting any potential interference from the fence out at the edges.
 
Thanks everyone, I did put the camera right up to the fence (Lens hood touching the fence) but they still came out hazy looking at first, like someone smeared vaseline on the lens. However after playing with them in lightroom they came out fine.

Thanks for the help.

Todd
 
Derrel said:
A lens can NOT focus on something that is RIGHT in FRONT of the lens.........
Click to expand...

Well, technically, it can. In fact, it's possible that the focus point can be IN the lens itself. But that is such a rare occasion, and you really have to work hard to make it happen. It's not something you're going to run across on an everyday basis.

I'm sure you're aware of this, Darrel.... I'm just tossing it out for the benefit of all readers.
 
ToddnTN said:
Thanks everyone, I did put the camera right up to the fence (Lens hood touching the fence) but they still came out hazy looking at first, like someone smeared vaseline on the lens. However after playing with them in lightroom they came out fine.

Thanks for the help.

Todd
Click to expand...

What focal length? If your shooting with a 'wide' or 'normal' length, the FOV will pick up the material. The longer the FL, the less likely the fence is to do this.

Also, make sure you're shooting through an opening in the fence, not right directly centered on a wire.
 
The three lenses I was using were:

Nikon 180mm F2.8
Tamron 24-75 F2.8
Nikon 50mm F1.8

After tweaking the pictures in lightroom, most of them were almost completely clear. Some of them looked like the bobcat picture above even with the lens right up against the fence.

I think the biggest problem is that some of the pictures I was taking, the camera was not perpendicular to the fence. Like standing behind 1st base and trying to take pictures of the hitter.
I may try going behind the outfield fence and taking some pics with my Nikon 300mm F4.

Not all of these are through the fence type pics, but you can see the pics from the game at my flickr photostream:

GCS Softball 2-22-14 - a set on Flickr

Thanks again for the suggestions.

Todd
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Long exposure without overexposing

< Previous Thread

Aquarium shooters

Next Thread >

Most reactions

Similar threads

SquarePeg
Photography is the best hobby!
Replies
11
Views
2K
Cinka
Cinka
Lez325
Spotlight on Members Interview with weepete
2
Replies
18
Views
3K
Lez325
Lez325
terri
Interview with SquarePeg!
2 3
Replies
30
Views
7K
SquarePeg
SquarePeg
SquarePeg
Weekly challenge 12/28 - 1/3/2020! I can see right through you
2
Replies
27
Views
3K
smithdan
smithdan
V
Modified Git2 Action Camera
Replies
0
Views
1K
VidThreeNorth
V

New Topics

TPF Gallery Photos

6775-_IGP0564
7985-Pantera_57661
Thank you your awesome meme
Black Phoebe
Rough 8 Seconds - 4
Autumn Seas
[No title]
img316.jpg
22332-DSC_0198
Canadian Loon
[No title]
Old Church
Back
Top