What would be your choice ?

Hi guys,

I took this shot last week end of this octopus (by the way is it a mimic octopus?). I am just wondering what type of settings you would use in this kind of situation. The picture was taken using the 60mm macro lens at around 10 meters deep, in a muck diving site. The water was pretty clear.

I used:

- f11, iso200, 1/160 sec, single YS110 alpha strobe

cheers

Would you use bigger aperture? or smaller ?

Would you use bigger aperture? or smaller ?

I think the OOF foreground is a bit distracting ... so, keeping all else constant, I think more DOF would improve the image and would therefore say stop down.

Hi guys,

 

I took this shot last week end of this octopus (by the way is it a mimic octopus?). I am just wondering what type of settings you would use in this kind of situation. The picture was taken using the 60mm macro lens at around 10 meters deep, in a muck diving site. The water was pretty clear.

 

 

I used:

 

- f11, iso200, 1/160 sec, single YS110 alpha strobe

 

cheers

First of all, are you disapointed with anything in the picture?

I guess I would have used a faster shutter speed to darken the dull backgound.

Maybe setting focus closer and selecting a smaller aperture. It would make more of the octopus sharp, but this is a matter of taste. I'm sure some will say that the out of focus arm only adds depth to the picture.

I don't know how large it is, so if it would be possible I would of course back off some so that the whole creature would fit the frame. If that would create too dull colors (due to too long distance to the subject), I would go for a wider lens.

/Peter

I think the image benefits from a little darkening (changing the levels from 1.00 to say 0.78). After which I think the out of focus front tentacle looks absolutely fine. If anything I would crop a little from the left hand side. I do like the shot - nice.

First of all, are you disapointed with anything in the picture?

 

I guess I would have used a faster shutter speed to darken the dull backgound.

Maybe setting focus closer and selecting a smaller aperture. It would make more of the octopus sharp, but this is a matter of taste. I'm sure some will say that the out of focus arm only adds depth to the picture.

I don't know how large it is, so if it would be possible I would of course back off some so that the whole creature would fit the frame. If that would create too dull colors (due to too long distance to the subject), I would go for a wider lens.

 

 

/Peter

I like the picture Peter. Was just wondering what type of settings one would use in the same situation...

I will try with a faster shutter speed, but I think my canon 450D has a synchronization of 1/200. You would make more of the octopus sharp by using a smaller aperture? How many cm or mm will I get extra in focus using let's say f16 or f22 ? I thought that it is only a matter of only a few cm, is it ?

Cheers

Daniel

Would you use bigger aperture? or smaller ?

Daniel,

The slightly out of focus forearm is acceptable, but slightly distracting. If your subject will allow, a wider lens can yield greater DoF and by being close, more color. Also, the forced perspective gives a greater sense of depth. Set the exposure to darken the background more.

All that said, I like your shot.

Regards,

Bob

I like the shot. If you wanted the octopus to be more crisp, I would stop down the fstop to f16 or f22 which should make the foreground and tentacles a bit more sharp.

Looks like a Mimic Octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) to me. I suspect the other possibility, Wunderpus Octopus (Wunderpus photogenicus), has greater contrast in its coloration along with more defined separation between the two colors. Nice shot. Was it at Lembeh?