Macro does this need a wider shot or not?

pent axe · 07-29-2018, 05:31 PM

So I was trying my hand at a shot that has been done too many times over but figured I could learn a bit from doing it myself. After many trials i still got some lens flare on the vase that I was using and it was slightly out of focus (one of the problems with my K-5 that is a little annoying to over-come by constantly manually focusing), but none the less I kind of like the overall effect; regardless of it not being razor sharp. Besides whats mentioned, any other points to share? Thanks in advance!

PS: the other thing that came to mind was getting my hands on a fish tank and having a flatter shot with a black or grey background to have a bit more contrast. Also that would allow me to focus on the breach, splash, air pocket, and object being dropped in. Yes?

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Last edited by pent axe; 08-26-2018 at 09:39 AM. Reason: additional question, grammar

chazthebiker · 07-29-2018, 06:22 PM - **1 Like**

I would say yes, and taller too. The flare is hard to overcome. There's got to be a trick to it.

SSGGeezer · 07-29-2018, 06:49 PM - **2 Likes**

Get a square (ish) vase or glass and you can beat the flare with the wall of glass perpendicular to the lens. Keep a flat tank or vase side parallel to the sensor and it should be less likely to flare and easier to focus. Then set lights or natural light and go to f/8 for a bit more DOF.

pent axe · 07-29-2018, 07:15 PM

Originally posted by chazthebiker

I would say yes, and taller too. The flare is hard to overcome. There's got to be a trick to it.

Thanks! I'll give it another shot. Possibly even getting a almost rectangular shot if i can get the ring to fall fast enough to get some real depth.

Originally posted by SSGGeezer

Get a square (ish) vase or glass and you can beat the flare with the wall of glass perpendicular to the lens. Keep a flat tank or vase side parallel to the sensor and it should be less likely to flare and easier to focus. Then set lights or natural light and go to f/8 for a bit more DOF.

Great idea! I may spring for a flash trigger so i can get a better angle at it. Once i have my focus set, ill just keep it there for consistency. As for the F8 do you mean less DOF?; to battle the possibilities of the ring not being in the same spot for every drop? (I dident have any kind of rig set up. My wife was just patient enough to do 15-20 drops for me

)

helgeson66 · 07-29-2018, 07:18 PM

I would say yes

SSGGeezer · 07-29-2018, 07:27 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by pent axe

Thanks! I'll give it another shot. Possibly even getting a almost rectangular shot if i can get the ring to fall fast enough to get some real depth.

Great idea! I may spring for a flash trigger so i can get a better angle at it. Once i have my focus set, ill just keep it there for consistency. As for the F8 do you mean less DOF?; to battle the possibilities of the ring not being in the same spot for every drop? (I dident have any kind of rig set up. My wife was just patient enough to do 15-20 drops for me

)

Smaller aperture, f/8 instead of f/5.6 will give you a bit more depth of field. Going up above f/11 or 13 may get diffraction error into the image as well as a deeper DOF.

CesarPaulo · 07-30-2018, 02:19 PM

Nice photo.

pent axe · 07-30-2018, 04:08 PM

Originally posted by SSGGeezer

Smaller aperture, f/8 instead of f/5.6 will give you a bit more depth of field. Going up above f/11 or 13 may get diffraction error into the image as well as a deeper DOF.

Thanks again! Ill try that out..I have a couple of things to work on. Hopefully soon ill be posting again.

Originally posted by CesarPaulo

Nice photo.

Thanks!

mhrish · 07-31-2018, 05:05 PM

I think it should be a little wider, but I also think it would benefit from a much lighter or much darker background, the background tone is too similar to the subject. I am not sure how to eliminate the lens flare, but I think the main issue in this photo is the lack of sharpness anywhere in the photo. Also like you said, maybe you should leave a little more at the top to show the splash better. Keep on experimenting and I bet you will get the effect you want.

SSGGeezer · 07-31-2018, 08:02 PM

A little food coloring in the water or a colored gel on a flash may help since the traditional shot of a ring is in a glass of champagne and that has a little color, and fizz which adds to the shot rather than just clear water.

BrianR · 08-01-2018, 03:32 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by pent axe

After many trials i still got some lens flare on the vase that was using and it was slightly out of focus (one of the problems with my K-5 that is a little annoying to over-come by constantly manually focusing), but none the less I kind of like the overall effect; regardless of it not being razor sharp.

The bright vertical line on the vase at the bottom of the photo isn't lens flare, it's a specular reflection (the direct reflection of your light source off the glass). If you want a photo of just the dropped object & water, get a small, rectangular fish tank and place your lights to the sides with snoots or black cardboard directing the light to only hit the falling object & the splash. This will make the glass essentially invisible. If you want the glass to be part of the photo, you do want to control the specular reflections to better show the shape of the glass. In this case, you might check out the book Light Science & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting, which has a chapter on lighting glass objects.

Having to manual focus isn't a k-5 defect here, I'd doubt any camera could AF on a small falling object quickly enough, especially when it has a layer of glass and water droplets to contend with. Manual focus is the way to go, and being consistent with your drop point will help greatly. A simple approach is to suspend a piece of string from the ceiling and have your partner always drop it from the bottom of the piece of string.

In lieu of a laser trigger type device to trip the shutter, you might try using a simple IR remote to trigger the camera. This way you can do the dropping and triggering all by yourself. I find this makes the timing easier and doesn't test the patience of anyone but yourself

.

Keep it up, and I look forward to the next round!

Blizz753 · 08-05-2018, 05:22 AM

Originally posted by pent axe

So I was trying my hand at a shot that has been done too many times over but figured I could learn a bit from doing it myself. After many trials i still got some lens flare on the vase that was using and it was slightly out of focus (one of the problems with my K-5 that is a little annoying to over-come by constantly manually focusing), but none the less I kind of like the overall effect; regardless of it not being razor sharp. Besides whats mentioned, any other points to share? Thanks in advance!

PS: the other thing that came to mind was getting my hands on a fish tank and having a flatter shot with a black or grey background to have a bit more contrast. Also that would allow me to focus on the breach, splash, air pocket, and object being dropped in. Yes?

I typically start with a wider shot and as long as the focal point of the image is good you can crop it to a desired image. In this case I feel like I need to see more.

dekc · 08-11-2018, 02:29 AM

Like the idea behind this photo, but how come you didn't decide to focus on the ring instead of the outer glass?

zero86r · 08-11-2018, 08:04 AM

A bit wider would work I think, I'd like the ring to be in focus as dekc has said, but a nice idea for sure.

p0pa · 08-11-2018, 08:43 AM - **1 Like**

In regards to the focus - as it was mentioned already - try with smaller aperture and probably a tripod with manual focus and remote trigger.
In regards to the flare - you can try with two light sources from the side of the vase. This way you will not have any flare and will also have even light.
In regards to the composition itself - you can try with a bit more distance in order to capture some of the surroundings. The other option is to move a bit closer and to capture only the water (w/o the vase). For both options you can use something black as a background (cardboard, curtain or something else).

08-01-2018, 03:32 AM - 1 Like	#11
BrianR Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,332	Originally posted by pent axe After many trials i still got some lens flare on the vase that was using and it was slightly out of focus (one of the problems with my K-5 that is a little annoying to over-come by constantly manually focusing), but none the less I kind of like the overall effect; regardless of it not being razor sharp. The bright vertical line on the vase at the bottom of the photo isn't lens flare, it's a specular reflection (the direct reflection of your light source off the glass). If you want a photo of just the dropped object & water, get a small, rectangular fish tank and place your lights to the sides with snoots or black cardboard directing the light to only hit the falling object & the splash. This will make the glass essentially invisible. If you want the glass to be part of the photo, you do want to control the specular reflections to better show the shape of the glass. In this case, you might check out the book Light Science & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting, which has a chapter on lighting glass objects. Having to manual focus isn't a k-5 defect here, I'd doubt any camera could AF on a small falling object quickly enough, especially when it has a layer of glass and water droplets to contend with. Manual focus is the way to go, and being consistent with your drop point will help greatly. A simple approach is to suspend a piece of string from the ceiling and have your partner always drop it from the bottom of the piece of string. In lieu of a laser trigger type device to trip the shutter, you might try using a simple IR remote to trigger the camera. This way you can do the dropping and triggering all by yourself. I find this makes the timing easier and doesn't test the patience of anyone but yourself. Keep it up, and I look forward to the next round!

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07-29-2018, 06:22 PM - 1 Like	#2
chazthebiker Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Posts: 41	I would say yes, and taller too. The flare is hard to overcome. There's got to be a trick to it.

07-29-2018, 06:49 PM - 2 Likes	#3
SSGGeezer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Indiana, U.S. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,845	Get a square (ish) vase or glass and you can beat the flare with the wall of glass perpendicular to the lens. Keep a flat tank or vase side parallel to the sensor and it should be less likely to flare and easier to focus. Then set lights or natural light and go to f/8 for a bit more DOF.

07-29-2018, 07:15 PM	#4
pent axe Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Posts: 53 Original Poster	Originally posted by chazthebiker I would say yes, and taller too. The flare is hard to overcome. There's got to be a trick to it. Thanks! I'll give it another shot. Possibly even getting a almost rectangular shot if i can get the ring to fall fast enough to get some real depth. Originally posted by SSGGeezer Get a square (ish) vase or glass and you can beat the flare with the wall of glass perpendicular to the lens. Keep a flat tank or vase side parallel to the sensor and it should be less likely to flare and easier to focus. Then set lights or natural light and go to f/8 for a bit more DOF. Great idea! I may spring for a flash trigger so i can get a better angle at it. Once i have my focus set, ill just keep it there for consistency. As for the F8 do you mean less DOF?; to battle the possibilities of the ring not being in the same spot for every drop? (I dident have any kind of rig set up. My wife was just patient enough to do 15-20 drops for me )

07-29-2018, 07:18 PM	#5
helgeson66 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 33	I would say yes

07-29-2018, 07:27 PM - 1 Like	#6
SSGGeezer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Indiana, U.S. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,845	Originally posted by pent axe Thanks! I'll give it another shot. Possibly even getting a almost rectangular shot if i can get the ring to fall fast enough to get some real depth. Great idea! I may spring for a flash trigger so i can get a better angle at it. Once i have my focus set, ill just keep it there for consistency. As for the F8 do you mean less DOF?; to battle the possibilities of the ring not being in the same spot for every drop? (I dident have any kind of rig set up. My wife was just patient enough to do 15-20 drops for me ) Smaller aperture, f/8 instead of f/5.6 will give you a bit more depth of field. Going up above f/11 or 13 may get diffraction error into the image as well as a deeper DOF.

07-30-2018, 02:19 PM	#7
CesarPaulo Senior Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: Curitba, PR Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 149	Nice photo.

07-30-2018, 04:08 PM	#8
pent axe Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Posts: 53 Original Poster	Originally posted by SSGGeezer Smaller aperture, f/8 instead of f/5.6 will give you a bit more depth of field. Going up above f/11 or 13 may get diffraction error into the image as well as a deeper DOF. Thanks again! Ill try that out..I have a couple of things to work on. Hopefully soon ill be posting again. Originally posted by CesarPaulo Nice photo. Thanks!

07-31-2018, 05:05 PM	#9
mhrish Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Tupelo, MS Posts: 84	I think it should be a little wider, but I also think it would benefit from a much lighter or much darker background, the background tone is too similar to the subject. I am not sure how to eliminate the lens flare, but I think the main issue in this photo is the lack of sharpness anywhere in the photo. Also like you said, maybe you should leave a little more at the top to show the splash better. Keep on experimenting and I bet you will get the effect you want.

07-31-2018, 08:02 PM	#10
SSGGeezer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Indiana, U.S. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,845	A little food coloring in the water or a colored gel on a flash may help since the traditional shot of a ring is in a glass of champagne and that has a little color, and fizz which adds to the shot rather than just clear water.

08-05-2018, 05:22 AM	#12
Blizz753 New Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Grant, FL Posts: 8	Originally posted by pent axe So I was trying my hand at a shot that has been done too many times over but figured I could learn a bit from doing it myself. After many trials i still got some lens flare on the vase that was using and it was slightly out of focus (one of the problems with my K-5 that is a little annoying to over-come by constantly manually focusing), but none the less I kind of like the overall effect; regardless of it not being razor sharp. Besides whats mentioned, any other points to share? Thanks in advance! PS: the other thing that came to mind was getting my hands on a fish tank and having a flatter shot with a black or grey background to have a bit more contrast. Also that would allow me to focus on the breach, splash, air pocket, and object being dropped in. Yes? I typically start with a wider shot and as long as the focal point of the image is good you can crop it to a desired image. In this case I feel like I need to see more.

08-11-2018, 02:29 AM	#13
dekc New Member Join Date: Jun 2018 Posts: 16	Like the idea behind this photo, but how come you didn't decide to focus on the ring instead of the outer glass?

08-11-2018, 08:04 AM	#14
zero86r Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Galway, Ireland. Photos: Gallery Posts: 104	A bit wider would work I think, I'd like the ring to be in focus as dekc has said, but a nice idea for sure.

08-11-2018, 08:43 AM - 1 Like	#15
p0pa Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 26	In regards to the focus - as it was mentioned already - try with smaller aperture and probably a tripod with manual focus and remote trigger. In regards to the flare - you can try with two light sources from the side of the vase. This way you will not have any flare and will also have even light. In regards to the composition itself - you can try with a bit more distance in order to capture some of the surroundings. The other option is to move a bit closer and to capture only the water (w/o the vase). For both options you can use something black as a background (cardboard, curtain or something else).