Not much of a picture but it illustrates some of the abundant flora in my
neighborhood in a photo that separates foreground from background, light
from dark, leafy trees in the foreground against tall pine trees in the
background, etc.
--
Pat Durkin

"Paddy's Pig" wrote in message
...
Not much of a picture but it illustrates some of the abundant flora in my
neighborhood in a photo that separates foreground from background, light
from dark, leafy trees in the foreground against tall pine trees in the
background, etc.

Yes - how do you do that?

Please ...

Mary

On Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:40:29 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


"Paddy's Pig" wrote in message
m...
Not much of a picture but it illustrates some of the abundant flora in my
neighborhood in a photo that separates foreground from background, light
from dark, leafy trees in the foreground against tall pine trees in the
background, etc.

Yes - how do you do that?

Please ...

Mary


He may have used a wide lens opening and focused on the closer
object. That would achieve such an effect. Not much depth of field
using a large opening such as f 5.4 vs 11. for example.

"joevan" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:40:29 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:

Yes - how do you do that?

He may have used a wide lens opening and focused on the closer object.
That would achieve such an effect. Not much depth of field using a large
opening such as f 5.4 vs 11. for example.


Exactly. The effect is accentuated a little by the fact that I used a 300mm
tele. The leafy tree in front was about 30' tall and 40 yards in front of
me and the pines in the back were much taller and perhaps 80-90 yards
distant. The light and dark coloration of the foreground/background was
also key.

It's an easy trick. To tell the truth even if I'd used a smaller f-stop
(larger numerically) the effect wouldn't entirely have gone away with me
using that telephoto lens. With a short focal-length lens it is possible to
make everything sharp from front to back by using a small f-stop. In the
"old" days of film photography camera & lens manufacturers used to publish
sheets called Depth-of-Field tables that showed the photographer exactly how
strong the DOF effect would be at any given f-stop and focal length. Those
tables would still apply today but the camera & lens makers have packed so
much automation into their products that most casual photogs these days
don't even bother to set a particular f-stop. They just let the camera do
it for them & I guess the manufacturers figure why confuse things by giving
people an information overload? So they don't.

You can do some tests with your own new camera Mary, to give yourself a feel
for the effect. If you have a tripod --- I think you said you got one ---
mount the camera and focus on an object somewhere near the camera. Set the
program to "A" (for Aperture --- meaning f-stop) and then set the camera
control knob to your largest lens opening (smallest number).

Make an exposure.

Then set the lens to the next smaller aperture (next larger number) and make
another exposure. The camera's automation will detect that less light is
striking the focal plane (sensor) & will compensate by leaving the lens open
a little longer to equalize the total amount of light striking the sensor.

Do this again and again, choosing a larger number f-stop each time and then
take your memory card out of the camera and download the images into your
computer and observe the differences. You will note that the foreground
object you focused on will be "in focus" on each and every shot.

But the background will be blurry on the first shot and will become more and
more focused with every succeeding shot.

This is because the Depth of Field is stretching each time you "stop down".
With shorter focal length lenses it is possible to take pictures where
virtually everything in the picture frame appears to be sharply focused ---
by means of choosing a small diameter aperture.

Remember: Large number, like f/16, means small aperture & long DOF. Little
number, like f/3.5, means big aperture & short DOF.

Here's a tip. I rarely shoot anything on full "Auto" or on "A" or "S"
because I've found I can get better shots by controlling the exposure
myself. I set my camera on "M" (for manual) and make a test shot using
whatever f/stop or or shutter speed is most appropriate for the subject.
I'll view the test shot (they don't cost you any thing - it's not like
wasting film) and make whatever adjustments are necessary on the camera to
either lighten or darken and then I'll go ahead and make the "money shots"
after I'm satisfied my exposure settings are spot on.

Pretty soon you'll be shooting like a pro.
--
Pat Durkin

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...

"Paddy's Pig" wrote in message
...
Not much of a picture but it illustrates some of the abundant flora in my
neighborhood in a photo that separates foreground from background, light
from dark, leafy trees in the foreground against tall pine trees in the
background, etc.

Yes - how do you do that?


Here's some more of the same genre. Separation light from dark, sharp focus
vs. soft focus, etc., although this was in a wildlife preserve a few miles
from my neighborhood.

While walking I spotted a single thoroughly dried and dead branch attached
to a healthy looking green pine. I don't know if this is symptomatic of
some kind of beetle infestation or not.
--
Pat Durkin

On Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:22:00 -0700, "Paddy's Pig"
wrote:


While walking I spotted a single thoroughly dried and dead branch attached
to a healthy looking green pine. I don't know if this is symptomatic of
some kind of beetle infestation or not.
--
if that is a Monterey Pine it is the pitch canker which is spread by
beetles
--

09=ix