Some of my stuff.

[Fricfrac]

A simpleton's question here....

How do you get such a short field of focus? or is it photoshop stuff?
My point and click puts everything into focus from a few metres a way into infinity.
Love the shots and esp. the clarity of the subject compared to the backgrounds
Nice work.


Keep it simple please!

OK, keeping it simple, as much as possible.

I do very little photoshop, I prefer to get the photos as right as possible in camera. Any point and shoot camera ,whilst great for some things, are poor at others. The data is recorded onto a sensor and transferred to your memory card. A point and shoot sensor is like a 1.0 litre Micra, the sensor on the D700 that I use is like a 3.0 litre Toyota diesel. The larger the sensor the better the clarity,depth of field and sharpness of the photo. However you need good glass in front of that sensor, the best camera in the world will take crap photos if using a milk bottle bottom as a lens, if you get what I mean?

Point and shoots are very good for macro and landscape stuff, but think that when you press the button to fire, there is a time lag to actually taking the photo,yes? Mine is instantaneous, fire the shutter ,photo taken.

The kit used to take the kingfisher above, would buy a good Hilux. But I do that for a living so I don`t mind. Bit like a mechanic buying snap on gear, some other stuff is nearly as good, but not quite as good.

The closer the subject is, then the depth of field narrows. For example, a kingfisher at 10 yards would only need F4 to get it all sharp (it would need a monster of a lens as well), but ,like these, at only 1.5 yards, your depth of filed diminshes alarmingly, that is why I take these at F9,10 or 11.The background is so out of focus because it is 5/6 yards behind the bird. I have some example shots kicking about that show what I mean by depth of field,i`ll dig them out if you want.

Hope that helps a bit. If not ,ask away, happy to help.

[Wolfracer]

Muddied Waters?

Okay, my camera has manual options of F3.3 to F9....
Looking at shots I've took recently, they are usually F3.3, including close ups, but there is one long distance which is F12, and plenty in between... what's the difference?

Your last paragraph lost me somewhat...

[Fricfrac]

Hopefully these two simple images will show the difference,the first is shot at F2.8 which gives a very narrow depth of field,hence the chain links being out of focus everywhere except the very middle.Now compare the difference to the second image shot a t F22, nearly all the chain is in focus. F numbers inbetween will give differing depth of field. Have a practice and you will see exactly what differing F numbers do. Set up a similar image and take shots at different F numbers and the results will speak for themselves.


This is a very basic lesson for beginners, hopefully it will help some people grasp the depth of field concept.







Also, if you look at the exif data in the bottom left of each image, you will see how the differing F numbers directly effect the shutter speed,But that is another subject.

[Wolfracer]

Fricfrac

Thank you for taking the time to explain. Gonna have a play with the F no.s!

My point and shoot also has variable shutter speed along side the variable F no.s, but as you say, one step at a time!

Watch this space...

[Fricfrac]

Must be the second batch. Taken out of the kingfisher hide, still struggling to get the light right for the KFs, might resort to using fill flash.

Anyway,nice little things are dippers.






It did come a bit closer. Whilst I was leaning out of the window taking this, the kingfisher came and landed on the new perch about 3 feet from the end of my camera.


Hopefully this shows the problems of the light at this part of the beck,dark water,dark bird equals dark photograph.

[MadcapMagician]

Lovely, mate.

That's the same bird in both shots isn't it? Why the radical difference in neck length?

[Fricfrac]

Same bird mate, yes. Second one ,it was stretching it`s neck keeping a look out for predators or maybe just having a nosy. First shot shows what they are usually like.

[ROMEROTECH]

just one word comes to mind....WOW!!...

Hell of a gift you have there sir!!

[Fricfrac]

Cheers bud, but it ain`t always rosy, sat on the river bank for 5 hours today and saw absolutely bugger all, that is how it goes.......

[Fricfrac]

Been a while since I took any shots of the deer. The grass has grown very well and there are fewer cattle on, so the deer seemed to have faired well.

This big lad was led in the long grass with about 10 of his cronies.





I watched them for a bit and then went in search of hinds.





And young.






Quite a pleasant way to spend a few hours.

[Fricfrac]

King from t`other day.

[ROMEROTECH]

That's so clear and sharp. Colours are great.

He looks like he's contemplating something.

How long did you wait for that shot?

[Fricfrac]

That's so clear and sharp. Colours are great.

He looks like he's contemplating something.

How long did you wait for that shot?

Got there at 0830, packed my bags at 1500, just as I was about to leave I heard it coming,grabbed the camera out the bag rapido and got about 50 shots of him from out of the hide. Perch is about 5 feet away from me.

[Fricfrac]

Couple of the same bird.

Sat on a rock in the stream, I crept to the edge on my belly but couldn`t get the ###### grass out of the way, the greeny bits are grass in front of the camera.





And one of it preening itself.

[Fricfrac]

Three from today.

Buzzard






Wren





And a little owl.