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  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

Starting out to do still life from scratch!

Dave Butcher

New member
I just noticed this thread. You are tackling a very difficult genre of photography Dave. Still Life. At least you have someone in Maggie who is masterful at the type of subject matter you are pursuing.

I am going to agree with Maggie on the one area of getting back to learning and mastering some camera technique basics. The primary one that you have issues with in all of the above photos - is focus. It will not matter one bit how nicely you have framed, composed and lit your image, if the focus is not in the right spot and with the right amount of focus.

All focus is on the stems and leaves - way behind the colourful flower and fruit. I suspect that you may be using a center focus point on your camer to attain focus and it is selecting the area in the middle when the flower is to the edge. Or it may be that you are using that point and prefocusing on the flower and then recomposing. Either way will not work with this subject matter. And attempting to fix focus in Photoshop will not make the image better. If it takes learning to Manual Focus if you aren't able to get a handle on the Auto Focus - then that may be what is required.

The second part of Focus, is selecting an appropriate Aperture setting to allow enough depth of field so that the subject will be properly in focus. Thecloser your camera is to the subject, the smaller aperture setting is needed to say have focus on the flower from front to back - letting the stem and leaves fall out of range. Surprising to sone is thst this may require f16 or higher a number depending on the situation. So when you are using natural light, this will create is issues with slow shutter speeds so that a tripod is needed.

Keep on working at what your project here is - but it will take a bit to master - and any mastery requires getting basic camera settings roght first, and then you can start controling the light and then the set and then the positioning. Looking at a great simple still life image, always looks like anyone can do it. I suppose anyone can. But only with some effort. Learning to see is a great start.

And at this point I don't think you're seeing what Maggie has mentioned from your first post related to focus issues. I think you've gotten lost in trying to change all of the other things - but each image goes back to focus. All the best.

Thank you Robert. Your very right on the mark just like Maggie is. Although my camera has a Manual mode on it it does not allow for Manual Focus. In manual mode it allows me three or four basic adjustments (F stop, ISO, and I believe it is shutter speed).

On the Auto Focus settings I have three choices:

1. Single AF
2. Multi AF
3. Object Tracking.

I have tried all three and get basically the same result. And in some cases the focus is even worse. On my cell phone I have only one option and that is basically object tracking. I hope to have this issue resolved in the next few days.

I plan on sitting down with the tutorial that Maggie sent me on my day off tomorrow and going through it with a fine tooth comb and learning everything that I can from it. And then I will read it again and again. I look at Asher's works and see a Master, I look at Maggie's works and see a Master, and I look at your works and see a Master. And that is what I want to be is a Artist and a Master of what I enjoy. And getting back to basics like you, Asher, and Maggie have said is the first step. Like I have been told by my wife time and time again baby steps. Take baby steps and that is what I am doing.

I hope that this all makes sense.
 

Robert Watcher

Well-known member
Thank you Robert. Your very right on the mark just like Maggie is. Although my camera has a Manual mode on it it does not allow for Manual Focus. In manual mode it allows me three or four basic adjustments (F stop, ISO, and I believe it is shutter speed).

On the Auto Focus settings I have three choices:

1. Single AF
2. Multi AF
3. Object Tracking.

I have tried all three and get basically the same result. And in some cases the focus is even worse. On my cell phone I have only one option and that is basically object tracking. I hope to have this issue resolved in the next few days.

I plan on sitting down with the tutorial that Maggie sent me on my day off tomorrow and going through it with a fine tooth comb and learning everything that I can from it. And then I will read it again and again. I look at Asher's works and see a Master, I look at Maggie's works and see a Master, and I look at your works and see a Master. And that is what I want to be is a Artist and a Master of what I enjoy. And getting back to basics like you, Asher, and Maggie have said is the first step. Like I have been told by my wife time and time again baby steps. Take baby steps and that is what I am doing.

I hope that this all makes sense.


Can I ask what camera you are using Dave? Single Auto Focus would be the setting that you want of those 3 options. Manual Exposure and Manual Focus will be in different menus or buttons on the camera. . BTW iPad and I imagine Android - provide for setting your focus point where you want.
 

Dave Butcher

New member
Can I ask what camera you are using Dave? Single Auto Focus would be the setting that you want of those 3 options. Manual Exposure and Manual Focus will be in different menus or buttons on the camera. . BTW iPad and I imagine Android - provide for setting your focus point where you want.

I am currently using a GE x600 which is a step above a point and shoot camera, but is not a DSLR camera. I Note 4 has a mode setting which allows for Auto, Beauty Face, Selective Focus, Shot and more, Rear Cam Selfie, Panorama, and Virtual Tour. I can also adjust the exposure value, the ISO 100 to 800, the Auto White Balance, and Metering Modes which allow Center Weighted, Matrix, and spot. It also has a HDR setting.
 

Robert Watcher

Well-known member
I am currently using a GE x600 which is a step above a point and shoot camera, but is not a DSLR camera. I Note 4 has a mode setting which allows for Auto, Beauty Face, Selective Focus, Shot and more, Rear Cam Selfie, Panorama, and Virtual Tour. I can also adjust the exposure value, the ISO 100 to 800, the Auto White Balance, and Metering Modes which allow Center Weighted, Matrix, and spot. It also has a HDR setting.

Ah - now I understand why you are having issues with auto focus Dave. I did a quick check on that camera and it does appear to be limited as far as focusing goes. You are going to have to get resourceful in figuring out how to use the features you have and trick them to get results you want. Can you figure out if the Focus locks, when the shutter button is pushed halfway? Also there is a Macro Mode if you are close enough - have you tried that?

On the other hand, maybe just try setting your auto focus to the Single mode and make sure the focus point is on the most important part of your subject - example the flower head. You will have to compose or crop around that to get good focus in the right spot.
 

Dave Butcher

New member
Ah - now I understand why you are having issues with auto focus Dave. I did a quick check on that camera and it does appear to be limited as far as focusing goes. You are going to have to get resourceful in figuring out how to use the features you have and trick them to get results you want. Can you figure out if the Focus locks, when the shutter button is pushed halfway? Also there is a Macro Mode if you are close enough - have you tried that?

On the other hand, maybe just try setting your auto focus to the Single mode and make sure the focus point is on the most important part of your subject - example the flower head. You will have to compose or crop around that to get good focus in the right spot.

I am going to work with that this weekend after I read and re read and read again the information Maggie sent me. I also have a new camera coming it should be here hopefully this weekend and the focus issue maybe mute as one would say.
 

Dave Butcher

New member
Good Morning all

I set the rose and the raspberry up today and here are a couple that I took with the new camera

ROSE%20AND%20RASPBERRY%20CANON-XL.jpg


IMG_0307-XL.jpg
 
Good Morning all

I set the rose and the raspberry up today and here are a couple that I took with the new camera

ROSE%20AND%20RASPBERRY%20CANON-XL.jpg


IMG_0307-XL.jpg

Dave, I am so pleased to see this; it is so much better. I am sure you are feeling much happier with these images. Definitely a huge difference. BRAVO!

Of the two, I prefer the 1st one because the focus is better than the second one. I think the second one has more light and has more of a brilliant color but that can easily be fixed. Taking your image into Photoshop (which I believe you said you now have) do into IMAGE/ADJUSTMENTS/LEVELS

See where it says input levels? There are 3 little triangular pins that you can move up or down. Look at the right side. That is the one to allows you to lift the lights. If you look at the graph, you see that part of the graph shows no light in it at all... so if you pull it down towards the first little peak at the bottom, that will lift the light in your image and not affect the darks.

After a bit of a crop to ground your image, and a levels adjustment as I just explained in the paragraph above, now your image has the brilliance of the second one, but the focus and sharpness of the first.

daverose2.jpg

One thing you should realize, is that you don't need to always find beautiful pretty objects to take pictures of, although I'm sure your wife appreciates the beautiful rose, simple objects around your house can be interesting when the shot is well done.

Hope to see a lot more from you soon. Keep up the good work and of course, keep shooting!
:)
Maggie
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Dave,

Good Morning all

I set the rose and the raspberry up today and here are a couple that I took with the new camera

ROSE%20AND%20RASPBERRY%20CANON-XL.jpg

Very nice.

I think I like the first one (above) a little better, probably because I think that in it the focus on the rose is a little better.

How do you like your Canon EOS Rebel T5? I think that is a lot of bang for the buck!

Best regards,

Doug
 

Dave Butcher

New member
Thank you very much Maggie and I have been working with Asher to learn and I wanted to master this one before I moved onto the next exercise. And the wife may like them but she is allergic to the roses and we have had to keep them in the fridge in the shop at work to keep her from having a allergic reaction to them.

Here is the first one with an adjustment of the levels.

ROSE%20AND%20RASPBERRY%20CANON%20LEVEL%20ADJUSTMENT-XL.jpg


And here is a screen capture to show you where I was at with it.

Clipboard01-XL.jpg
 
Thank you very much Maggie and I have been working with Asher to learn and I wanted to master this one before I moved onto the next exercise. And the wife may like them but she is allergic to the roses and we have had to keep them in the fridge in the shop at work to keep her from having a allergic reaction to them.

Here is the first one with an adjustment of the levels.

ROSE%20AND%20RASPBERRY%20CANON%20LEVEL%20ADJUSTMENT-XL.jpg


And here is a screen capture to show you where I was at with it.

Clipboard01-XL.jpg

You are doing well. Be careful not to pull it up too light. I had changed my computer's brightness for a computer game I was playing and didn't notice I may have lifted the black in the background a bit to much. See?? I'm not perfect and been doing this a long time!

You are doing very well!
 

Dave Butcher

New member
You are doing well. Be careful not to pull it up too light. I had changed my computer's brightness for a computer game I was playing and didn't notice I may have lifted the black in the background a bit to much. See?? I'm not perfect and been doing this a long time!

You are doing very well!

Thank you very much Maggie. I am learning from three of the best. Sorry I did not respond earlier but I was out shooting some Street Scenes in Las Vegas. I am going to risk it and post them over the next few days. There are a few that I am running by Asher first.
 

Dave Butcher

New member
Hi, Dave,

Good Morning all

I set the rose and the raspberry up today and here are a couple that I took with the new camera

ROSE%20AND%20RASPBERRY%20CANON-XL.jpg

Very nice.

I think I like the first one (above) a little better, probably because I think that in it the focus on the rose is a little better.

How do you like your Canon EOS Rebel T5? I think that is a lot of bang for the buck!

Best regards,

Doug

Hey Doug I love the Canon EOS T5 and your right it has a lot of great features for the buck. I have only one lens right now but will be adding more as time goes on along with a good flash. Thank you for the comment on the rose and raspberry. This was the first photo in the series that I felt good about because I felt I finally got the right idea.
 
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