kayaksailor

Hello! My name is Ruth, though I am commonly known as kayaksailor on DeviantArt. I have been a photographer for most of my life, adding up to more than a half century of taking photos!  I made the official switch from film to digital in May 2007 (about the same time as I joined DA) after getting my first dSLR, a Nikon D100, at a yard sale. As I am rather fond of flower gardens and the accompanying insects, those are my primary subjects and will be my examples for this article. Personal taste will dictate your scenes! Today's article will discuss some Depth of Field tips for Close-up flower photography!

First of all... What is a Close-up Photograph?

We will begin with two simple definitions of what Close-Up photography is:

1. A photograph taken at close range or with a long focal-length lens.
   
2. An intimate or detailed view.
   

So... What is the Difference Between

Close-up and Macro Photography?

Many people equate Macro photography with Close-up photos. There are certainly similarities--as the photographer, you may be near the subject and the image may show tiny details--but the biggest difference comes down to the the ratio between the subject's actual size and how it is represented on the image. 

A Macro photograph is one in which there is a 1:1 ratio or greater between the size of the subject on your camera's sensor and the size of the subject in real life. If the size of the subject on your camera's sensor is smaller than the size of the subject in real life, you have a Close-up photograph. For many people the two terms are used interchangeably but having an understanding of the differences is important for categorizing on DA!



When it comes to Close-up photography, there are no hard and fast rules to which lens you use or exactly how close you have to be. But be prepared to get your knees dirty, maybe even your elbows and stomach too!

Tip: I tend to use my zoom lenses, 28mm-300mm & 150mm-600mm, primarily due to the way they foreshorten objects and make the subjects feel closer than in reality.

Tip: A tripod is helpful, but not always necessary. If you do use one make sure it allows you to get close to the ground, depending on your subject.
 

Ok, I'm ready to learn what Depth of Field is!

An understanding of depth of field (DoF)–-how much of your photograph is in focus–-is helpful. Depth of field is controlled by your camera's aperture and the aperture on your camera is represented by f-stop numbers. Remember: As you change your f-stop you'll also need to adjust your shutter speed and ISO to compensate. I tend to shoot in aperture priority mode.

Shallow DoF

A shallow depth of field can be achieved by shooting with a large aperture (a lower f-stop number). With these smaller f-stop values, your lens has a larger opening, allowing more light into the camera. This allows the camera to focus more fully on your subject and leave the surrounding elements blurry. This helps to single out your subject (creating a point of interest) while at the same time reducing the effect of distracting background clutter:

Deep DoF

A deep depth of field can be achieved by shooting with a small aperture (a high f-stop number). With these larger f-stop values, your lens has a smaller opening which restricts the amount of light entering the camera and causes your camera to capture the foreground and background in focus. This technique is not used as often in Close-up photography but is seen more often when shooting scenery:

Experiment with a variety of f-stop depths to find what you like. Most mid-range to professional dSLR cameras have an f-stop “preview” button.

When choosing an f-stop, it is important to think about your subject and what you want to emphasize. If it is an insect, it is important to have the eyes in focus – a general choice. So you'll need to be aware of the depth of your focal plane; how deep the area in focus needs to be to capture all the details you want. Flowers are more forgiving so you can get a narrow band for a bit more of an abstract look.

I love when a photograph I've taken inspires someone else to create more art!!  I am lucky to have the originals of several of these in my home



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I grant the aforementioned Clubs permission to submit my work to their galleries.
Thank you to everyone who honors my photographs with favorites or adds them to a collection I will always answer comments but I can no longer guarantee that I will be able to acknowledge every fave, although I appreciate each one!




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King Fire Update!!
:bademoticon: 

The fire is now being reported as 92% contained there are still pockets of smoldering trees well away from the containment lines.  The over 8000 fire personnel has been reduced to 3400 - still a lot of people power but far less than at the height  The structures lost is up to 80 but last I read only 10 or so of those are homes.  The acreage burned has topped 97,000 (compare that to Lake Tahoe at 120,000 acres).  Mopping up and plans for re-forestation and flood control will continue. 

I also want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone out in dA-land for helping me to reach an unexpected milestone of over 100,000 page views

 

On Saturday September 13, 2014 a small fire was intentionally set in the pine forested Sierra Nevada mountains near the small town of Pollock Pines CA. The fire, on the first day was a measly 40 acres or so, but on Sunday the 14^th the wind kicked in and the fire exploded in the tinder dry trees. California is in its 3^rd year of drought and everything will burn. For fire maps and more information check out The YubaNet online paper yubanet.com/nevada/King.php – it has been a literal life saver for many people who were in the way of this monster.

My family does not live within the danger zone but several friends like and her family do. They have lived with the threat of evacuation, having gotten the “voluntary” call on the 4^th day of the fire.

The winds and dry conditions had the fire moving so rapidly that it moved over 15 miles in the course of ONE night! Thousands of people have been evacuated and the fire is threatening homes and whole towns. Smoke from the fire can be seen by satellite and has been blown up into Wyoming and Idaho.

The fire has grown so large and long that it has been split into two different zones to facilitate shorter times for the crews to reach their places of battle.  The mountain terrain is steep and the few roads that exist are narrow and winding.

We have more than doubled the population of many of these towns with out-of-town and out-of-state fire personnel and are we grateful to them!! Over 8000 men and women, the largest support gathering ever.

At this moment – Thursday September 25, 2014 the fire has burned over 95,350 acres, 69 homes and out buildings have been destroyed (the total will rise when it is safe to go into the burned areas). For more than a week the fire was burning so hot and fast they couldn't stay ahead of it and it remained only 5% contained. We've had a little bit of rain in the last few days and are glad to see the containment has risen to 43%, but a return to the seasonal weather pattern can quickly change that.

While California is “made to burn” - many of its plants even require the heat and clearing of timber that occurs to be able to grow - we have buried our homes deep into the danger zones so sadly this will not be the last Monster fire...

and I have taken a couple drives and have found much beauty in the fearsome might that are wild fires...

The following are our images and others that I have found here on dA.

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:iconpremiummembers:
I grant the aforementioned Clubs permission to submit my work to their galleries.
Thank you to everyone who honors my photographs with favorites or adds them to a collection I will always answer comments but I can no longer guarantee that I will be able to acknowledge every fave, although I appreciate each one!




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Another update!  Just found out I got Best of Show on my Poppies in the Blue  !! My "Hug" mushroom got a 1st,  and   got 1st's too, a 2nd on  and 3rd on !  I tried something new this year and entered the Baking contests and earned 1st's in the two categories there also  All in all a great Fair showing


I got my 2nd DD on my texture     Along with an El Dorado Camera Club "Best of Show" on    I'm so excited  Thank you to everyone for the faves and congratulations!!  My gratitude to for the suggestion and to for the award



Thank you all for the wonderful Birthday wishes! I received so many along with a few beautiful “cards” and journal wishes Thank you Edie for , and Candace , Alice , May and all the clever and charming emoticon wishes

I am a little slow in responding because and I took a flying road trip down to my home town of Santa Barbara for my birthday. I have many memories of driving the Big Sur section of Hwy 1 as a child but Caitlin has never had that thrill So we planned a full day of “gotta see” views.

We left the foothills near Lake Tahoe “early” in the morning and headed for the coast... Caitlin and I have been missing the Pacific so I had her take a quick “1^st view of the Sea” shot. The fun started with a drive down the Monterey Cannery Row with a brief stop at the Monteray Bay Aquarium gift shop (we didn't have time to give the aquarium its due but did buy a couple little sea stars that will find a home somewhere on our shelves). We got a giggle from this sign but our parking meter was ticking so no investigation was done

After filling up with gas (gaack it has gotten so dang expensive ) we hit the curves. My memories include arching bridges , funky mailboxes , crashing waves against flower topped rocky cliffs and houses perched on the edge of the world with amazing views.

There is an iconic view of one of the few freshwater waterfalls that drops directly into the ocean. Caitlin and I have seen other shots of it here on deviantart and we were determined to see it for ourselves We knew the name of the falls – McWay Falls – but we neglected to write down exactly where it was as we expected there to be signs! About 15 miles past where we thought they “should” be we pulled over at one of the rare “corner” markets to ask directions. Luckily we weren't too far away so we turned around and headed back to the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. The trail is short, flat and easy – sadly getting down to the beach is off limits but the view of the falls and coast is worth that disappointment.  

At the lower end of the cliffs, high up on the coastal mountains, is the Hearst Castle near San Simeon. That stunning place would take a couple days to explore so we knew it would have to wait for another trip. But as we were cruising along, I saw a stretch of sand that I thought was covered with odd shaped boulders. It was an Elephant Seal haul out beach!! What I had mistaken for rocks were hundreds of seals The wind was blowing, the seals were snoozing and our cameras were clicking Their shades of brown and gray were so pretty! And even with some looking like they were dressed for a zombie movie (we caught them in the middle of their spring molt) they were so cute!

We continued down Hwy 1 past Moro Bay with its monolith Moro Rock , Onto the 101 through San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria and Buellton...

What with our toodling around at McWay falls and then with the seals we were pushing dusk as we aimed for dinner in the little Danish town of Solvang. And then it happened again...what the ?!! Cait did you see those? Were those ostrich?!! In the Santa Ynez valley of California?!? HAD to turn around again and check it out and yep there were ostriches in a field!

Solvang would have to wait for our return trip home...except for a couple snaps

We spent two days with my 91 year old parents, seeing my old childhood stomping grounds, visiting the Ty Warner Sea Center   (where Caitlin and I volunteered for three years), played tourist on the local pier and enjoyed family. We gathered succulent clippings from my mother's garden to feed Caitlin's growing addiction. Found a weird and uncommon Walking Stick bug on the door and realized times goes way too quickly when once again we were in the car driving...this time north toward home.

We had breakfast in Solvang with a little wander around the town. Another childhood memory spot along Hwy 101 is a cove by the tiny town of Shell Beach. We stretched our legs here for an hour looking at the colorful rocks and sand and seeing a mother sea lion with her baby out sunning. We also saw several of the nesting Pigeon Guillemot high in the crevices of the cliffs.

We'd decided to take the “straightest” way home which takes you from the lush green flower decked coast across the center of the state which is a remarkably arid area! We made it before dark despite catching a little bit of 5:00 rush hour in Stockton...my husband, our cat and the chickens were as glad to see us, as we were to be home

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:iconpremiummembers:
I grant the aforementioned Clubs permission to submit my work to their galleries.
Thank you to everyone who honors my photographs with favorites or adds them to a collection I will always answer comments but I can no longer guarantee that I will be able to acknowledge every fave, although I appreciate each one!




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My daughter Caitlin and I had a wonderful two week adventure over on the other side of the US.  We are west coasters with Cait having never been further east than Las Vegas NV in her life (Cancun Mexico when she was 3 doesn't really count )

We went primarily to do a week of volunteer work at an archeological dig near the small town of Morganton, North Carolina. ( exploringjoara.org/ for more info.) It was an interesting experience working at what is believed to be the earliest European fort in what was to become the US, built in 1567.  The powerful local Cawtaba Indians destroyed the settlement in 1560 ending the Spanish experiment in the new world, opening the area to the British who followed with the American Colonies.  The lost colony of Roanoke is only a few hundred miles east on the coast of NC.

Having become accustomed to high temperatures at home, average summer is about 100F, we thought the forecast 85-95F of North Carolina would be no problem…how wrong were we! What we weather wimps failed to take into consideration was humidity We have a far greater appreciation of the saying "but it's a DRY heat" now…Caitlin and I both agree we have never consumed so much water and Gatorade each day as for that week!  

At the Berry site we learned the art of how to "dig". We novices were allowed to help with the clearing of the top layers of plowed (disturbed) dirt.  That entailed using a flat edged shovel to gather about an inch or two deep, "pop" the dirt up out of the square and have it land perfectly onto the framed screen resting on two sawhorses above two wheelbarrows.  Now I've done a fair amount of gardening in my life and I thought I'd have no problem tossing dirt around - it is far more challenging than I thought!!  But eventually after over and under shooting (which means the occasional face full of dirt) I got to be pretty good Our 'digging team' switched off between digging and screening – screening means breaking up the clods of dirt that have been 'popped' up and rubbing them through a quarter inch screen to catch pieces of pottery , or broken arrow tips or many, many rocks…The purpose of the digging was to get down to the undisturbed layer of dirt below the plows had not messed things up .  At that point the more "trained" people took over and did a more fine tuned kind of digging with trowels with the final result being nice neat squares showing the edges of the native ceremonial mound where we were digging and a building of some sort at another part of the site.

There was also an area near the local stream where the collected artifacts were washed and separated – new finds became apparent when dirt was removed…an apparent rock became a carved piece of soapstone and a lump of dirt became a clay bead!  Dirt samples were also run through water to see what floated – like ancient seeds and charcoal which showed what was being eaten.  Caitlin and I decided we liked being in the water area with the shade of the trees and the cool creek water better than out in the sun digging dirt

We also did some exploring throughout the State: driving on the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway...following a series of rainstorms .  Wandering in the excellent museums of Raleigh, meandering in the huge Farmer's Market in Cary , people watching in the various cities we drove though, visiting a large zoo in Asheboro and spending a day on the Outer Banks "climbing" the hill of Kittyhawk , scene of the first flights by the Wright Brothers.  We also spent several hours walking in the surf , collecting shells and harassing crabs down near the Cape Hatteras lighthouse .  I have spent my life within ten miles of the ocean up until four years ago when we moved several hundred miles away so walking the beach was soul fulfilling to me

As we drove, if signs caught our eye we'd follow them to their destination …found two of the few remaining covered bridges that way, and a centuries old Scottish Cemetery with headstones dating from the late 1700's.   Cait's doodling on the internet found images of a little pond covered with water lilies – we searched it out with the help of Google Maps and our trusty GPS and were lucky to be there at the blooming season!

All in all we had a great time, and are indebted to our long time friends Ken and Amy along with their three kids, Karen, Rick and James for making us feel so welcomed and to the staff and other students at the Berry Field School for a fantastic experience…

  THE END!!



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I grant the aforementioned Clubs permission to submit my work to their galleries.
Thank you to everyone who honors my photographs with favorites or adds them to a collection I will always answer comments but I can no longer guarantee that I will be able to acknowledge every fave, although I appreciate each one!