Macro Flower for comment

[davemills]

Taken with my 60mm f2.8 EFS macro. The problem I have with these sorts of shots is to get a level of DOF that is not to shallow. Is there a nice easy rule of thumb for getting a DOF that will at least cover the depth of the object?
Comments to improve on this shot would be appreciated.

[Robert_Lay]

Depth Of Field Calculator (On Line):
http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

The above link is a good place to start.

In your image everything looks good except for the yellow stuff, which doesn't look as sharp as one would like. That's mysterious because it looks like it's in the same plane as the sharper elements.

Anyway, you will have fun with that on line calculator - it's educational as well as useful.

[davemills]

Robert Thanks for your response. I found this site to be very useful.

Hope you had a merry Christmas and have a happy new year.

[D. Craig Flory]

Hi Dave;

I like your image a lot and saw a presentation I'd like to share with you. Here is my version.

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i93/DC47/Dutch-Iris-W1Enhanced.jpg

[VFTT]

Craig fixed my issue with it, which was the top petal was touching the top of the frame. It is not cut off, but it looks like a 'mistake'. Nice shot though.

- d

[davemills]

D.Craig Flory

Thanks looks 1000% better. Can you give me some basic instruction on what you did so I can duplicate, or at least have a go at duplicating.

Thanks, have a happy new year.

[lingham]

at a glance it was just re-sized and bordered?

[D. Craig Flory]

D.Craig Flory

Thanks looks 1000% better. Can you give me some basic instruction on what you did so I can duplicate, or at least have a go at duplicating.

Thanks, have a happy new year.

Lingham is correct. I made a new dark background and put the image on top. I also did a little selective sharpening. Finally, I added a 1 pixel stroke in a color selected from the image.

[davemills]

Thanks again my PS skills are sadly lacking in some areas.

[D. Craig Flory]

Thanks again my PS skills are sadly lacking in some areas.

I teach Photoshop, in my studio. You could make a trip to Pennsylvania for lessons. I'm 3 miles frfom world famous Hershey where the chocolate is made. So you could visit Hershey too. *S*

Ok, I'm off now to photograph the "Polar Bear Plunge". Last year over 600 people jumped in the lake on New Years Day. It's going up around 55ºF today so I think a lot will once again risk jumping in. This is in an old limestone quarry which is spring fed. It's freezing water in the summer and a lot colder in winter. I'll post any interesting images.

[Duncaji]

Very nicely done dave.

[davemills]

Thanks Craig if I'm ever in Pennsylvania. Have fun in 55F its a pleasent 80+F here in Sydney

[shniks]

I normally dont like flower shots too much but this one is gorgeous! love the edit from D.Graig too, awesome!