Best viewed large (and I don't really ever say that). :)
The leaves are starting their annual descent, and each morning, I watch them fall gracefully while I seek out birds, bugs, or interesting subjects in my backyard. I've played with capturing leaves on a few occasions, but I've dropped the goal because I'm just not that good at it.
This morning, a little spider gave me hope as this leaf was caught in its plunge to the earth by a singular web thread. Usually, the leaves stop on branches until the winds pick them up again for their final travel segment from limb to ground(which has such a unique and soft sound when they hit).
I played with settings a lot as it swung and caught the light. I really wanted the leaf in focus and I wanted to capture the bokehlicious background. I also played with AI Servo since it was not going to sit still. Oh, and I started out with AUTO just to see how much controlling my own settings makes a difference. It's huge. For those who are still trying to figure out manual settings, I can only say, keep at it! Worth the work. It also meant that it was ready for quick processing.
This photo is a personal fav for me as it captures what I wanted when I tried to get a singular falling leaf on other occasions, but failed every time. Thanks spider! I'll be back to get a macro of you later!
Lovely pic, almost 3D and great bokeh. I'm going on a photography course soon to see if I can crack M as I just use Intelligent Auto so in a way you give me encouragement but I also feel a tad apprehensive as it all seems so complicated!
@wind_of_the_sothern_sea Thanks very much Arefin! It was so beautiful and such a lucky catch. I hoped to channel the King of Bokeh's talent for just a second! ;)
@quietpurplehaze Oh, Hazel, you can. Best to start with things that don't move. I can show you the day I actually felt manual "click" for me--it was thrilling--I also forced myself in those days to go SOOC just to see how things would play out. I experimented all the time and knew that I was going to get some awful ones at first, but what's so nice about the little card in the camera is that "delete" does not cost anything! A great time to play with manual to see the differences is also the golden hour in the evening (when light is your friend) or in the morning light. Your course will be great I am sure! Here is my "eeek, I did it in manual photo!": http://365project.org/darylo/365/2013-03-14
Instant fave for me! So glad you explained how you did it - AND you gave me hope for learning more about manual settings! Now, if I can only find the time to do it . . . :)
@juliedduncan Keep at it. This one was one that used a high ISO (don't be afraid of that if you have a processing program to take out some of the grain) and I played mostly with the Aperture to adjust the bokeh effect. I always tend to go high in shutterspeed as I'm often chasing a moving subject. I thought it was funny how yesterday's shot I did at a ridiculously high shutter speed, but I did that to capture the light on the seed pod. ISO is flexible for me. It's the shutter and aperture that I try to control as much as possible. Hope that helps. Keep at it. I'm still totally learning, but I know what I want to do much more now. :)
Great shot, and great discussion. I'm in pretty much the same place as you, although I'll admit to going to Sports setting rather than Tv. And I STILL haven't figured out how to figure out AI Servo. Your monkey thing had me almost ready to try it myself, but then life got in the way. I get very frustrated trying to grab moving birds, and right now it's only luck or manual focus that gets me success. I need a good video to explain it I guess.
@squamloon Sports setting works fab in great mid-day light. I used it last night to catch some soccer, but there was light in one area and not enough in another. I didn't care so much, but in the Tv setting, I can auto choose the ISO and I think even aperture? Hmm, will have to rethink. I usually set up things by pointing around in the light and determine the optimal shutterspeed and set and go. With birds, AI servo is good, BUT it does slow down the repeating shutter some, so it's a hit or miss--if the birds are moving tons and far, it doesn't work, but if the birds are hovering and moving within an area, it does well (hummers at a feeder, for example), but you will end up with only one or two "money shots." Ideal situation is the Tv setting and the light (with birds at least). My hummer feeder is in shade a lot. I don't feed any other animal, so I'm stalking, stalking, stalking. It's a pretty funny thing.
instant fav, something I have tried to do and failed miserably, I admit to being a little scared of 'manual', but this shot inspires me to continue, thanks for all the helpful information
@ness50 Thanks Ness! Don't be scared of it. In fact, today, IF I get the time, I want to create a collage of what I was trying from auto to AI servo attempts. The changes are dramatically better after I left auto behind--the rest was deciding if light, bokeh, or focus was best -- all of the shots had their merits. If I had gone with the auto one, it would have needed a bunch of editing and it had "Meh" bokeh.
