[MadMathMind]

Click the image for a larger (1680x1080) version.

I shot this while in Baltimore for a conference. I had some time away and wandered into the ballpark, just a few minutes walk from the convention center and my hotel. This was shot in the late afternoon (4pm), so the lighting was not optimal, being on the far right side of the image. I went back on two different mornings, but unfortunately, the monument section of the park had been closed off, so I was unable to get a photo in better light! Drat!

Shot with an old manual focus K-mount 50mm f/1.4 lens at f/2.0, I think. (Sadly, the f-stop for anything before A series is not recorded in EXIF.) I didn't get the bokeh I expected from this, but actually, I think it's almost about right. The background is blurry enough not to detract but sharp enough for the sign to be readable and the site recognizable. Any technique I could have used to make it better? (Aside from getting closer--impossible or opening up to the not-so-sharp 1.4?)

Other suggestions? Lighting (it wasn't so good...) or angle?

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Last edited by MadMathMind; 01-26-2014 at 09:37 PM.

[Julie]

I do like this photo. The composition is strong and you've got a sense of movement starting at the right of the frame, moving its way toward the left.

Given the chance to re-shoot, I would have framed it at an angle as to avoid that red brick ledge and black bars over there to the right- it would really make the statue stand out against the field background... and it wouldn't be bad to see a bit more of his standing foot, if possible... then I'd give the photo an A. The white balance is a little cold for my personal liking, that can be warmed up in post-processing, so that's not too big of an issue, that addressed, I'd give it an A+.

[Miguel]

Palmer was an outstanding pitcher; I'm happy to have seen him pitch. That's the mother of all modern ballparks there.

The photo has one irrecoverable issue: the massive detailed background just about kills your subject, regardless of how wide-open you shoot. And in daylight, the one way to overcome this is to use a long telephoto that can isolate the subject from the background. If the situation is anything close to public space in the stadiums here in Seattle, you probably won't have the access to establish that reach. That's why I'd recommending shooting at night, or perhaps dusk or dawn when maybe a glimmer of light will hit the statue just right. At night you'll have to have an established lighting plan in place.

Hope this helps.

M

[MadMathMind]

Given the chance to re-shoot, I would have framed it at an angle as to avoid that red brick ledge and black bars over there to the right- it would really make the statue stand out against the field background... and it wouldn't be bad to see a bit more of his standing foot, if possible. then I'd give the photo an A.

I thought the same thing too! I need to get better looking from corner to corner in the viewfinder.

The photo has one irrecoverable issue: the massive detailed background just about kills your subject, regardless of how wide-open you shoot. And in daylight, the one way to overcome this is to use a long telephoto that can isolate the subject from the background. If the situation is anything close to public space in the stadiums here in Seattle, you probably won't have the access to establish that reach.

Are you suggesting shooting just the statue? I have that photograph too. I was trying to do something a bit different with this one and get some stadium background for flavor. Or am I misunderstanding and you are suggesting backing up with a telephoto and shooting the same shot to reduce DoF?

At the time I shot this, I had only a 80-200 f/4.5 for long reach. That lens is pretty bad at 4.5, so I'd have to open it up to 5.6 to get decent sharpness. I could have probably shot it at 80mm, there was enough room to back up that much and still get this composition. But even at 4.5, I don't think I would have gotten much less DoF. I was probably 10 feet away or so with the 50mm.

I now have a 70-200 f/2.8, so I can give your suggestion a try next time!

[Miguel]

I was trying to do something a bit different with this one and get some stadium background for flavor.

Too much background for my taste, the statue is almost incidental. I'd try for a bit more than a hint of a background if possible.

M

[manishved]

Awesome . You should enter it in one of those "Rule of Thirds" contests