Amateur photography anyone?

[Teufel Hunden]

I decided to play around with some focal points and lighting effects, shooting for these to look as if a fireplace were the only light in the room. I wanted it to be mostly about the general Marines theme, with the sword being right there in the center, with everyone only being aware my medals are back there, without giving any of the details. I can't explain the exact feel I was going for, but I wanted a more general sense of Marines or the service itself, rather than something specific to me.


What does everyone think?

[Livingston]

My favorite of the two would be the second one. Looks to me that you captured the look you were going for. Nicely done.

[ForresterModern]

I am certainly an amateur photographer, and many would probably also call me "amateurish" at times, but I will see if I can help.

Not sure what kind of camera you are using, as that would make a difference in how much you can mess with the settings. I think you need a bit more depth of field in focus, so that you can have the sword sharp but still see the details in most of the other pieces as well, with only the distant background a bit out of focus, so that items there are recognizable but not sharp. To do this you need a very tight aperture setting, which is typically only available if you have an SLR or DSLR camera and the ability to prioritize the aperture setting over all others. Since this is a still life, with nothing moving, you should use a tripod of some sort to hold the camera so you do not get camera shake from handholding, possibly with a remote mechanical or infra-red shutter release, or even the self-timre button. That should let you set your aperture tight while giving you a longer exposure to get the depth of field/focus field up a bit more to keep your sword engravings sharp and central, while improving focus throughout the rest of your composition.

With the smaller more common hand held mini-cameras it is harder to do this, although many have a "still life" or "panoramic" setting that will to some degree prioritize aperture over shutter speed to get the same effect, albeit typically to a lesser degree, as the settings are still set up assuming a handheld exposure (which typically requires a 6oth of a second shutter speed or faster to stop hand held motion blurring). Check your camera's manual to see if one of the preset programs (such as the usual sports, portrait, scenic, panoramic, etc) is specifically designed to use for tripod shots, or if your camera has a program that allows you to set aperture priority in some other override fashion.

If you can figure out how to play with the aperture settings, take a series of photos at ever tightening apertures (higher numbers) with your primary focus on your primary target, then try doing the same while moving the focus slightly further back into your still life. You should eventually find a group of settings where the sword stays in focus but much of the rest of your display also is sharper and plays a more important part in your photo.

I think it has wonderful potential to be a beautiful image with a little playing around. Good luck.

jeff

[AstroBen]

I agree. Tighten up the aperture, and you'll be able to see the cap in better focus. The composition of the the first photograph is better placed than the second, though I'm not sure what I'm looking at in the lower right corner between the saber and jacket. It's a bit fuzzy from the focus, and my eyes are seeing corrugated cardboard.

Other than that, the lighting is excellent--more professional than amateur.

[manfrozeninaglacier]

I love the shots, especially the second. I like the wide-open aperature blurring all but the sword. Anyone with military ties will be able to identify the objects, but the out-of-focus elements prevent them from distracting the viewer as well as add depth. The only thing I can think would improve the shot is to add some leading lines that draw the viewers eyes into the pic.
But overall, I say - Hey man, nice shot.

[ThinBlueLine]

Teufel Hunden,

Those are staged very well. If you are using a SLR/DSLR with a removable lens then you might be able to go with a different lens with a slightly higher f-stop to sharpen the background a bit but only if you want to. The drawback is that high f-stop lenses are not too great in low-light situations. I have a 50mm with a low f-stop that is great in low light and great for portraits but not too great if I am going for a low-light large field shot.
I really like the second picture with the focus on the blade. I am sure there are plenty of Marines out there that would love to use that as a background on their computer.
Have you considered getting a deviantART account or something similar?

[Teufel Hunden]

I am certainly an amateur photographer, and many would probably also call me "amateurish" at times, but I will see if I can help.

Not sure what kind of camera you are using, as that would make a difference in how much you can mess with the settings. I think you need a bit more depth of field in focus, so that you can have the sword sharp but still see the details in most of the other pieces as well, with only the distant background a bit out of focus, so that items there are recognizable but not sharp. To do this you need a very tight aperture setting, which is typically only available if you have an SLR or DSLR camera and the ability to prioritize the aperture setting over all others. Since this is a still life, with nothing moving, you should use a tripod of some sort to hold the camera so you do not get camera shake from handholding, possibly with a remote mechanical or infra-red shutter release, or even the self-timre button. That should let you set your aperture tight while giving you a longer exposure to get the depth of field/focus field up a bit more to keep your sword engravings sharp and central, while improving focus throughout the rest of your composition.

With the smaller more common hand held mini-cameras it is harder to do this, although many have a "still life" or "panoramic" setting that will to some degree prioritize aperture over shutter speed to get the same effect, albeit typically to a lesser degree, as the settings are still set up assuming a handheld exposure (which typically requires a 6oth of a second shutter speed or faster to stop hand held motion blurring). Check your camera's manual to see if one of the preset programs (such as the usual sports, portrait, scenic, panoramic, etc) is specifically designed to use for tripod shots, or if your camera has a program that allows you to set aperture priority in some other override fashion.

If you can figure out how to play with the aperture settings, take a series of photos at ever tightening apertures (higher numbers) with your primary focus on your primary target, then try doing the same while moving the focus slightly further back into your still life. You should eventually find a group of settings where the sword stays in focus but much of the rest of your display also is sharper and plays a more important part in your photo.

I think it has wonderful potential to be a beautiful image with a little playing around. Good luck.

jeff

Thanks for the suggestions Jeff. I'll play around some more with everything and see what I can come up with.

I agree. Tighten up the aperture, and you'll be able to see the cap in better focus. The composition of the the first photograph is better placed than the second, though I'm not sure what I'm looking at in the lower right corner between the saber and jacket. It's a bit fuzzy from the focus, and my eyes are seeing corrugated cardboard.

Other than that, the lighting is excellent--more professional than amateur.

The part you're seeing there is actually the belt of the uniform. I laid the blouse on the table as if it were being worn and left the belt wrapped around it. Here's an improper pic for reference:

Teufel Hunden,

Those are staged very well. If you are using a SLR/DSLR with a removable lens then you might be able to go with a different lens with a slightly higher f-stop to sharpen the background a bit but only if you want to. The drawback is that high f-stop lenses are not too great in low-light situations. I have a 50mm with a low f-stop that is great in low light and great for portraits but not too great if I am going for a low-light large field shot.
I really like the second picture with the focus on the blade. I am sure there are plenty of Marines out there that would love to use that as a background on their computer.
Have you considered getting a deviantART account or something similar?

Thanks for the input.

Not deviantART, but my friends and I are trying to put together an online profile of sorts. We've got a TON of pics and a few videos we're working on, just as a hobby on the side, but the more we show the more interest everything gets.

[ThinBlueLine]

Teufel Hunden,

Best of luck to you. From what I can see you have a good eye for composition so everything else is just experimentation until you find a style that suits you.