File :-(, x, )
Greetings /p/ Scar3crow !BL/mLIWlTw
So, just got my 450D the other day, and was playing around a bit last night and took this pic. Thought I'd see what /p/ thought.

(I'm still reasonably new to photography, but I'm enjoying it, which I guess is a big part.)

Was taken using an EFS 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens, and a hood flash. Ended up taking the picture with the camera upside down, and bouncing the flash off a diffuser below the branch. It was pretty hard to get a good focus in the dark, but I think it came out well in the end. There was a bit of noise (mostly towards the lower left because I had too high an ISO), but it wasn't really noticeable. Got rid of most of it in PS, but no real alterations apart from that (and crop/resize for wallpaper purposes).

Feedback?
EXIF data available. Clickhereto show/hide.
Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeCanonCamera ModelCanon EOS 450DCamera SoftwareAdobe Photoshop CS3 WindowsImage-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution72 dpiVertical Resolution72 dpiImage Created2008:05:26 22:29:42Exposure Time1/60 secF-Numberf/2.8Exposure ProgramNormal ProgramISO Speed Rating800Lens Aperturef/2.8Exposure Bias0 EVMetering ModePatternFlashFlash, CompulsoryFocal Length60.00 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width1920Image Height1200RenderingNormalExposure ModeAutoWhite BalanceAutoScene Capture TypeStandard
>> Anonymous
Technically pretty awesome with the lighting, but I'm pretty bored by it. Uninteresting composition (huge black space - would be good for text in a layout though), and way too much is out of focus.
>> Anonymous
I agree with the first post here, while the technical aspects and lighting are dope as - the actual shot itself is lacking something to make it really pop off the screen at you. Perhaps if it was cropped into a portrait format it'd be more of an attention grabber because there'd be far less vacant space. As for the shallow DOF being that it was shot at the settings it was it makes sense, but perhaps test it out when there is some ambient light available.
>> Scar3crow !BL/mLIWlTw
Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking of retrying the same basic photograph again some night, but using a tripod so I can get a bit of a longer shutter speed and smaller aperture.

I thought however that taking it during the daytime (or other times when more ambient light was available) would bring too much brightness (and green of other trees) to the background and distract from the water drops and sharpness of the plant.

To be honest I didn't really spend much time planning this one out - just grabbed the camera and decided to give it a go.
>> Anonymous
>>190924and way too much is out of focus.

Yeah.. because everything needs to be SO IN FOCUS to make a good picture.

It looks perfectly fucking fine as it is.
>> Anonymous
Looks like a Windows Vista wallpaper.
>> NGT !!coI61nFsZNd
I really like the negative space in this piece, but more out of personal preference than anything.
>> Anonymous
Looks like a good wallpaper. Submit it to Interfacelift.com
>> Anonymous
>> night

So is the black background a combination of the night and extremely shallow DOF at macro distances or is it because you shopped it black?
>> Anonymous
>>191171

CAUGHT!
>> Anonymous
>>191181

What do you mean caught? I wasn't accusing him of anything.

I wanted to know if the pitch black background is due to it being at night or if it's edited.

Nothing wrong with Photoshop.
>> Anonymous
>>191183

0/10
>> Anonymous
>>191186

Okay.. please explain how it's done, oh mighty one.
>> Scar3crow !BL/mLIWlTw
>>191171

It was taken at night, so the large area of black is just from lack of light in the background. As I said, the only editing I did was a little noise reduction, plus crop&resize.
>> Anonymous
>>191303

Okay, and what did you mean by "hood flash"? Built-in one?

I'm just wondering why there's absolutely nothing in the background. I've tried macro before with a 580 angled down 7 degrees but during the day and the background is still there, but very out of focus, mind you.
>> Anonymous
thanks for my new wallpaper.
>> Scar3crow !BL/mLIWlTw
>>191305

>>Okay, and what did you mean by "hood flash"? Built-in one?

Oh sorry, I just meant an additional flash, a Canon Speedlite 430X to be exact.

>> I'm just wondering why there's absolutely nothing in the background.

The shot was taken pretty late at night, and there was still a fair bit of cloud cover (it had just been raining), so there wasn't a lot of ambient light on the trees etc in the background. Whatever was in the background was also a fair distance away (around 20 metres or so)
>> Anonymous
>>191746(around 20 metres or so)

Ah, maybe that's why it didn't register anything in the background.

The 430 can't be titled down, did you use it off camera?
>> Anonymous
>>191866

>>Ended up taking the picture with the camera upside down, and bouncing the flash off a diffuser below the branch.
>> Anonymous
That doesn't really say if it's on or off camera. -___-
>> Anonymous
>>191870
Would he need to turn camera upside down if it was off?
>> Scar3crow !BL/mLIWlTw
>>191866
>>191869
>>191870
>>191947

The flash was connected directly to the camera, hence the need to have the thing upside down.
>> Anonymous
*steals as a wallpaper*