have i got this depth of field thing right?
Discussion
whilst in the garden having a smoke i noticed we had some colourful weeds growing, so out with the camera and i took some pictures. now i am not at all good, but i like these two, especially the first. is this what depth of field is, and have i done it right? closer item out of focus, further item in focus?
cheers matt
ETA. Exif data, Shutter speed 1/360 and 1/400. F5.6. ISO 80. no flash, no white balance.
cheers matt
ETA. Exif data, Shutter speed 1/360 and 1/400. F5.6. ISO 80. no flash, no white balance.
Edited by Matt1986 on Monday 9th April 15:57
Looks like you've got the hang of it. 
Best way, like most things, is have a practice - stick camera on tripod and run through a load of different settings. (So much easier to do with digital and exif data isn't it?)
isn't it? But I suppose I don't know whether Matt has aperture priority on the Panasonic? And I know what you mean. The best upside of going for shallow DoF is faster shutter and lower risk of camera shake 
Go for smaller F numbers and longer focal lengths. (Which looks like just wjat you've done here.) Usually stopping a lens down by more than about two stops goes past the designed best image quality it'll produce anyway.
Best way, like most things, is have a practice - stick camera on tripod and run through a load of different settings. (So much easier to do with digital and exif data isn't it?)
GetCarter said:
Using speed priority... just remember... slow = lots of DOF .... fast = shallow DOF
That's a bit "irish" isn't it? But I suppose I don't know whether Matt has aperture priority on the Panasonic? And I know what you mean. The best upside of going for shallow DoF is faster shutter and lower risk of camera shake Go for smaller F numbers and longer focal lengths. (Which looks like just wjat you've done here.) Usually stopping a lens down by more than about two stops goes past the designed best image quality it'll produce anyway.
There (used to be?) is a club called F64 in the States. I was thinking of starting one up called just F4 because that's usually where my camera is set...used to be that you had a little collar on the lens that did this...grumble, grumble...
GetCarter said:
beano500 said:
That's a bit "irish" isn't it?
isn't it? Hey, my mother was 1/8 Irish on her Great Grandfather's side.... so I consider myself mostly Celt.
It works though... the speed thing. Albeit completely the wrong way to explain.
works for us simpletons who don't have £10k worth of camera equipment.
and i just realised, these pictures of the plants are take me over the 1000 mark on my camera! Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff