how can I take a picture like this?
Discussion
I can't see why it would have needed much trickery in Photoshop? Maybe some adjustments to the original (especially if a RAW file) in PS, Lightroom or similar to get it to the taker's taste. The real 'win' of this is the shallow depth of field - a wide aperture on a fast lens probably, maybe standard or short telephoto. I have an old Olympus OM Zuiko 85mm f2 and a Leica R f2.8 (100mm) and a newer 50mm f1.5 Zeiss Sonnar (an old design) that give nice background blur like that.
kman said:
Your 3200 could do this - but it depends on what lens you have. You need something long length (85mm, 200mm etc) plus wide aperture (2.8 at 200mm or even wider if you're closer). Or hire a pro like me 
Thanks,I have a Nikon 18 - 200 DX lens so i will set it at 200mm at a 2.8 aperture and give it a try!
buzzer said:
kman said:
Your 3200 could do this - but it depends on what lens you have. You need something long length (85mm, 200mm etc) plus wide aperture (2.8 at 200mm or even wider if you're closer). Or hire a pro like me
Thanks,I have a Nikon 18 - 200 DX lens so i will set it at 200mm at a 2.8 aperture and give it a try!
buzzer said:
I want to take a picture like this of my own motorbike... I have a Nikon D3200 and a Sony RX100 MK2 at my disposal...
anyone suggest what setting I would need to get a photo like this, or has it been photoshoped?
So first off...anyone suggest what setting I would need to get a photo like this, or has it been photoshoped?
There is no need to photoshop this pic because it can be achieved quite easily by using the appropriate lens.
You have nothing to lose by experimenting, so take a few a photos using your RX100 MK2 set at it's widest aperture, and use 'A' on the dial, my MK 1 is f1.8 so assume your MK2 is similar, you will need to park your bike a long way from any background in order to achieve max blur of the background. Don't zoom in, walk closer to achieve the closest photo.
Your Nikon D3200 may achieve better results depending upon the lens you are using, basically the lower the f number the better, so a prime lens like a 50mm f1.8 would achieve better blurring of the background than a lens with f4 or 5.6 because the depth of field (sharpness) would be less when using the lens with the f1.8 setting.
As a footnote, a friend of mine took some stunning photographs at a wedding using a Nikon 80mm lens at f2.8 and the bokeh effect (background blurring was outstanding).
rich888 said:
So first off...
There is no need to photoshop this pic because it can be achieved quite easily by using the appropriate lens.
You have nothing to lose by experimenting, so take a few a photos using your RX100 MK2 set at it's widest aperture, and use 'A' on the dial, my MK 1 is f1.8 so assume your MK2 is similar, you will need to park your bike a long way from any background in order to achieve max blur of the background. Don't zoom in, walk closer to achieve the closest photo.
Your Nikon D3200 may achieve better results depending upon the lens you are using, basically the lower the f number the better, so a prime lens like a 50mm f1.8 would achieve better blurring of the background than a lens with f4 or 5.6 because the depth of field (sharpness) would be less when using the lens with the f1.8 setting.
As a footnote, a friend of mine took some stunning photographs at a wedding using a Nikon 80mm lens at f2.8 and the bokeh effect (background blurring was outstanding).
Some good info in here but just a word of caution about DOF and subject distance. It is not just aperture that affects DOF, it is also subject magnification which is a product of focal length and distance to the subject. There is no need to photoshop this pic because it can be achieved quite easily by using the appropriate lens.
You have nothing to lose by experimenting, so take a few a photos using your RX100 MK2 set at it's widest aperture, and use 'A' on the dial, my MK 1 is f1.8 so assume your MK2 is similar, you will need to park your bike a long way from any background in order to achieve max blur of the background. Don't zoom in, walk closer to achieve the closest photo.
Your Nikon D3200 may achieve better results depending upon the lens you are using, basically the lower the f number the better, so a prime lens like a 50mm f1.8 would achieve better blurring of the background than a lens with f4 or 5.6 because the depth of field (sharpness) would be less when using the lens with the f1.8 setting.
As a footnote, a friend of mine took some stunning photographs at a wedding using a Nikon 80mm lens at f2.8 and the bokeh effect (background blurring was outstanding).
Maximum magnification is achieved when using a long lens at a close distance. I suspect with the OP's kit available, his best chance of getting a similar look to photo posted is to use his 18-200 at 200mm and f/5.6 and get as tight in to the subject as possible.
Using a wider angle up close, regardless of what aperture settings are available will also give quite a different look to the image. For one the bike may start to look a little distorted but you will also see much more background, some of which may be distracting. The shot posted originally looks to me like it was shot with a telephoto.
Then lastly, consider the lighting. It'd quite easy to end up with very harsh shadows and nasty reflections. It looks like the photo posted had the sun to the left and slightly behind the camera which has created relatively consistent light across the bike but I suspect a polariser may also have been used to control reflections a little.
buzzer said:
I want to take a picture like this of my own motorbike... I have a Nikon D3200 and a Sony RX100 MK2 at my disposal...
anyone suggest what setting I would need to get a photo like this, or has it been photoshoped?
Easiest pic you'll ever take. Put your bike in the middle of a field and use your RX. Leave it in beginner mode. Take the pic from 15 - 20 feet, kneeling down.anyone suggest what setting I would need to get a photo like this, or has it been photoshoped?
How simple was that!
ETA RX will 99% of the time give you shallow DOF in this instance, but poor light may screw you.
If you want a sure thing, shallow DOF - then use a long lens on your DSLR, standing further back. Small f number. f5:6 etc.
Edited by GetCarter on Thursday 31st March 16:02
K12beano said:
The one thing you NEED for something like that is a diffuse light source. A direct source will play havoc and give you headache of contrast and deep shadow. That will be nowhere near pleasant (and will give you Photoshop-hell)
The lighting has been puzzling me, because that's part of what makes the image so striking.At the very least, it was taken on a sunny day with hazy cloud, making the sun a much bigger source of light. The reflections on the bike don't seem to show any other light sources, but there are lots of details in the shadows - but where is the shadow of the bike itself?
Googling the image seems to suggest it was taken for a magazine shoot where various light sources were used - eg : https://www.facebook.com/939185122759318/photos/pb...
One of the things that makes the bike stand out is bokeh. That is when the lens is set to give you minimum depth of field and the background becomes increasingly blurred. One advantage with digital cameras is the fact that you can play with all the various settings to determine exactly what is available as an end result. Helps if you have some talent but practice, practice, practice. For this photo I'd use a long lens 100-400mm on a tripod. Play with shutter speed and aperture settings to get the best result. Ideally you want a bright sunny day with broken cloud to make the shadows softer but good overall illumination.
See this for clarification of bokeh -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-TbXGi9yI0
See this for clarification of bokeh -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-TbXGi9yI0
nellyleelephant said:
GJB said:
bokeh
Christ I hate that word, dunno why! Just to clarify, bokeh is the quality of the out of focus area, not the fact that it exists, eg, you can't have "lots of bokeh". When I'm in charge, that word is getting outlawed. "In photography, bokeh ( Japanese: [boke]) is the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image produced by a lens.Bokeh has been defined as "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light". Differences in lens aberrations and aperture shape cause some lens designs to blur the image in a way that is pleasing to the eye, while others produce blurring that is unpleasant or distracting—"good" and "bad" bokeh, respectively. Bokeh occurs for parts of the scene that lie outside the depth of field. Photographers sometimes deliberately use a shallow focus technique to create images with prominent out-of-focus regions.
Bokeh is often most visible around small background highlights, such as specular reflections and light sources, which is why it is often associated with such areas. However, bokeh is not limited to highlights; blur occurs in all out-of-focus regions of the image."
Edited by GJB on Monday 4th April 16:22
GJB said:
Lots of words I hate - Cancer, slag, Hitler, racist, bigot, ignorance........not sure I could muster too much hate for bokeh. Its a term used in photography which I didn't invent but its a shorter way of describing this ....
[i]"In photography, bokeh ( Japanese: [boke]) is the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image produced by a lens.Bokeh has been defined as "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light". Differences in lens aberrations and aperture shape cause some lens designs to blur the image in a way that is pleasing to the eye, while others produce blurring that is unpleasant or distracting—"good" and "bad" bokeh, respectively. Bokeh occurs for parts of the scene that lie outside the depth of field. Photographers sometimes deliberately use a shallow focus technique to create images with prominent out-of-focus regions.
Bokeh is often most visible around small background highlights, such as specular reflections and light sources, which is why it is often associated with such areas. However, bokeh is not limited to highlights; blur occurs in all out-of-focus regions of the image."[/i]
I wasn't knocking you, I just hate the word in the same way I hate the word "moist" when my mum talks about cakes.[i]"In photography, bokeh ( Japanese: [boke]) is the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image produced by a lens.Bokeh has been defined as "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light". Differences in lens aberrations and aperture shape cause some lens designs to blur the image in a way that is pleasing to the eye, while others produce blurring that is unpleasant or distracting—"good" and "bad" bokeh, respectively. Bokeh occurs for parts of the scene that lie outside the depth of field. Photographers sometimes deliberately use a shallow focus technique to create images with prominent out-of-focus regions.
Bokeh is often most visible around small background highlights, such as specular reflections and light sources, which is why it is often associated with such areas. However, bokeh is not limited to highlights; blur occurs in all out-of-focus regions of the image."[/i]
Anyway, back to the pic, I agree with the post above, looks like the result of a large aperture telephoto.
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