Bokeh is the focus - Open thread

[RareTA]

This is one I was excited about. When was the last time anyone found an Auburn setting in a pasture. In this case the body is gone but the frame is still there. I contacted the Auburn Museum in Indiana and they were quite excited as well to hear of this car.

[sury]

Sury,

It was done with a program I got called Machinery 2. A guy in Germany or Poland designed and sells digital downloads for $40 US.

Ken,
I downloaded the demo and tried this image. I am waiting for full license. The demo restricts the image size.

The first one is with Luminance HDR (Free) + MS ICE (Free) + LR


The second one (I should not have used one of the presets - anyway) is with Machinery 2 - Demo version (Free for now) + MS ICE (Free) + LR

[RareTA]

I hope you like the program. I'll feel guilty if it doesn't work out for you. I on the other hand like it a lot. Especially when I forget to bracket photos I want to HDR. It's heck to get old. I do know now that my dad wasn't a stupid as I thought when I was 20.

Ken

[sury]

No issues, Ken. I would not have ordered it had I not felt it is way easier to use. I also liked the auto focus and ghost removal feature too.
I was seriously debating whether to upgrade to LR6 and get HDR and Pano or use continue to use MS ICE and get this SW.

Sury

[Dusty]

I spent a fun filled 3.5 months there in the summer of 1975. So much fun and games, laughing every minute. So I can tell you from my own experience that all Marine Corps drill instructors are very friendly, easy to get along with, and happy chaps.

And here I thought you were older than that! I was a Hollywood Marine, since I did MRCD San Diego, back in the fall of '77.
They were much nicer folks after you graduated than they ever were while instructing you!

Dusty

[sury]

From the backyard...

[mikehawthorne]

some very dreamy shots here, when photos are better not sharp.

mikehawthorne

[aster]

A solitary bloom of Iris, against a crisscross of green blades look very nice, Sury.
The bokeh works for providing a recognizable yet smooth background.

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz

[sury]

Thank you Mike and Yildiz.

[sury]

Is this a better version? I am experimenting pushing the limits without adding the "punch".
Your feedback is appreciated.

[aster]

Hi Sury;

Do you really like that much 'warmth' in the green, for the leaf blades? I can get used to seeing it but isn't it like getting too far away from the natural tones of the blade?
I like the acquired sharpness on the Iris bloom; the swirling petals look more enhanced and I think it looks better than the soft one in the first submission.
Off-center positioning of the Iris bloom is a good approach. Makes the frame more interesting, and the eyes can wander on more objects that enrich the frame, like the background. You could even push the limits and decenter it more and achieve a semi-panoramic look.
But most of all, I like that you captured a still-closed bloom than wait for a full blossom to photograph. ( I like seeing the Fibonacci spirals in the unrolling petals as well. )

My couple of cents! Hope it helps.

Yildiz

[sury]

Thank you Yildiz. The warmth came at the cost of "sharpened" Iris. You make excellent suggestions.
Let me think through and work them out. Your comments made me realize I was being unipolar. Once
I am done with intended goal, need to pull back and see what are repurcussions of my actions and how
I can mitigate them if they are adverse. A good lesson to keep in mind in real life too.

For example, I could have blended the first and second with iris from second and blades from the first.

Sury

[jbtaylor]

Interesting doesn't always mean appealing.
Was taking golf course landscapes at f8.0. Rain delay gives me a chance to take a few candids. Forgot to back down to f4.0 for a smoother background. Regardless, the background looks interesting.
a900, Sony 70-200mm 2.8G

[sury]

Interesting shot
I think this background conjured
different reactions in proportion to
amount of Scotch in my system.

[jbtaylor]

Piggybacking on your flower shot above. An oldie but (I think) a goodie.
The Zeiss 135mm @ 1.8 and the a700.



On more @ f2.0 on the a900.