[gkrishn]

Originally Posted by kb100

Folks - it is not my intent to be self .. whatever! Please do critique - and tell me what I should be the correct way of doing things..

Got to say the recovery in photchop is much better. But generally it is used to enhance the pic, not to fix it.
You have a tripod right? Forget the dragon for a moment. Retry those static objects by using the tripod. Dont use flash. Keep them next to a window, where some light seeps thru. Put the camera in mirror lock mode. Use remote shutter release if you have on. Use EV compensation if you need(you will need). Check the RGB chart after taking the pic to make sure there is no clipping.

A similar pic... just converted from raw.


Exif info...
Tv(Shutter Speed): 0.4Sec.
Av(Aperture Value): F8.0
Metering Modes: Evaluative metering
Exposure Compensation: 0
ISO Speed: 100
Lens: EF50mm f/1.8

[kb100]

Originally Posted by gkrishn

You have a tripod right?

WRONG !! I mean RIGHT -- I mean I don't have one - these were all hand-held. I intend to pick that and the remote release.

Originally Posted by kb100

I still need a Tripod - Manfrotto 190XProB or the 055XProB - the former can handly 5kgs and the latter 7kgs. Which one do you think I should go for? I also read about a Slik Pro DX700 which is supposedly very good and very cost effective and can handle 6.5kgs. Does anyone know where one can get the Slik Tripod rates from? I think Sam is using a Slik tripod.

I asked this question in the Digital Camera thread. Any inputs pls??

[gkrishn]

Originally Posted by kb100

WRONG !! I mean RIGHT -- I mean I don't have one - these were all hand-held. I intend to pick that and the remote release.

Ok. I would suggest that those indoor shots can wait till that point. The problem with that dragon is, it occupies a small portion of the over-all image. And this will throw the metering of camera out of window. You may have to + or - the EV based on fore/back ground. Also they keep moving from one place to another so fast, and this fore/back ground keeps changing resulting in classifying it as a difficult subject at this stage. May be you can try a static flower, when there is no wind, early morning.

You know about the RGB histogram, right? If not check this out... How to Use Color Histograms. 40d gives this rgb histogram info on preview screen.

I asked this question in the Digital Camera thread. Any inputs pls??

A monfrotto should be pretty good. An entry level? Make sure it comes with a quick release and also a ball head if budget permits.

[Rudra Sen]

Does anyone know where one can get the Slik Tripod rates from? I think Sam is using a Slik tripod.

Sujit, don't go for that. It's a waste of money. If you're planning to buy a tripod and use it for a long time..don't look for anything else but Manfrotto or Gitzo.

Listen to this old man.

[kb100]

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen

Sujit, don't go for that. It's a waste of money. If you're planning to buy a tripod and use it for a long time..don't look for anything else but Manfrotto or Gitzo.

Listen to this old man.

Loud and Clear Sir.. Loud and clear!

Next time I sit with you I need to write down the commands for photochop. You went thru it so fast that I'm still dizzy!! I know it can do a lot of things - and I'm trying to remember how to make them do those things!

[kb100]

Here is the flower shot I tried. These were extremely tiny flowers - and the bee flying around was less than a third the size of a regular house fly. This was taken around noon @ 70mm f8.0 . I though that would give it the DOF. But surprisingly the DOF turned out to be sooooo shallow. Except for the third flower from the left - everything else is OOF by various margins. The bee of course wouldn't sit still - but cant blame it - the lens one cm away must have scared the hell out of it!! BUT the whole focal plane - including the bee, could not have been more than 1.00cm.

[gkrishn]

Originally Posted by kb100

Here is the flower shot I tried. These were extremely tiny flowers - and the bee flying around was less than a third the size of a regular house fly. This was taken around noon @ 70mm f8.0 . I though that would give it the DOF. But surprisingly the DOF turned out to be sooooo shallow. Except for the third flower from the left - everything else is OOF by various margins. The bee of course wouldn't sit still - but cant blame it - the lens one cm away must have scared the hell out of it!! BUT the whole focal plane - including the bee, could not have been more than 1.00cm.

There is no flower that is "in focus" in this picture!!

Also it is over exposed. To the extent that you cant recover them by using any tool. If you see the RGB histogram in PS or dpp, you will see that R&G got over exposed and the blue has got under exposed and got clipped off at those points. Taken under noon sun?

[kb100]

Originally Posted by gkrishn

There is no flower that is "in focus" in this picture!!

Also it is over exposed. To the extent that you cant recover them by using any tool. If you see the RGB histogram in PS or dpp, you will see that R&G got over exposed and the blue has got under exposed and got clipped off at those points. Taken under noon sun?

Well.. What I meant is the 'stamen' (yellow) part of the flower is in focus. So is the bud below it. Which is why I said the whole cluster of flowers is barely 2.5 cms across and depth cannot be more than .75 cms. So wonder how even @ f8.0 the DOF could have been so shallow.

Sorry - this was taken at 3pm - here is the original RGB as shot in DPP. I went thru that article but I am still confused how to read it - whether one looks for X axis or Y axis to determine exposure.

[gkrishn]

Originally Posted by kb100

Well.. What I meant is the 'stamen' (yellow) part of the flower is in focus. So is the bud below it. Which is why I said the whole cluster of flowers is barely 2.5 cms across and depth cannot be more than .75 cms. So wonder how even @ f8.0 the DOF could have been so shallow.

I looked around in that pic. Nothing seems to be in focus.

Below is a 100% crop of a region in focus.


Can you post the 100% crop of the part of the picture which you think is in focus?

Sorry - this was taken at 3pm - here is the original RGB as shot in DPP. I went thru that article but I am still confused how to read it - whether one looks for X axis or Y axis to determine exposure.

The x and y has same values in dpp for curve correction. Usually the y-axis is no of pixles. The x-axis is from 0 to 255. Where 0 is full black and 255 is full white. How to Use Histograms

[redrage]

My try at flower's, Body: Canon 40D

55-250 IS



18-55 IS

[HellwratH]

rerage, Awesome pics man. Loved the first one for its composition. The sharpness in all the pictures is amazing.

[kb100]

Excellent shots Dilip!

And @ Guru- Yes you are right - all of them are OOF! Guess the tripod is becoming indispensable by the minute!

[redrage]

@kb: Thanks, compensate the exposure bro, play around with the contrast a bit and shoot in raw. You will get good results.

My ever reliable N73

[deepaktpatil]

redrage,
Good pictures, all are beautiful. Keep them coming.

rippergo,
The first one is amazing, the colors have come out really nice. Although the performance of lens shows in form of curved walls, there is nothing you could do of it. I liked the color contrast and composition of the first one.

Regards,
Deepak