O-5050 artsy question

[miss_scuba]

I did some of the typical close up shots and beginner stuff. I want to take artsy pictures, where the fish is in focus and the background in blurry. Any tips?

 

[jlyle]

Use a wide open aperture - F/1.8 for a shallow depth of field.

 

[miss_scuba]

how about making it darker in the background? so, it is almost like it is black...

 

[jlyle]

Use a high shutter speed to darken the ambient light.

 

[livewire]

jlyle, you da man. Nice examples. Awesome Mola Mola, too! I'm jealous!

One other thing to add on the blurred background topic. The 5050 lens doesn't deliver as much of a blur effect as an SLR with a 50mm lens. You can get some, as jlyle shows you in the first pic, but to gain a really strongly blurred background, you can always use PhotoShop's blur tool! (The teardrop shaped button). Okay, some would consider this cheating, but it's an easy one to use and works great!

 

[miss_scuba]

Thanks! I will try.

 

[justleesa]

how about making it darker in the background? so, it is almost like it is black...

flash and a fast shutter speed will do that too...and you can darken the background with PS

 

[diveborg]

jlyle, you da man. Nice examples. Awesome Mola Mola, too! I'm jealous! !

Indeed he is.

flash and a fast shutter speed will do that too...and you can darken the background with PS

or Photoshop Elements which will do 90% of what the full version will do for 85% lower cost.

 

[justleesa]

PS, any version

and 90%....you really think so?

 

[jlyle]

Sort of off topic, but I saw a demo of Lightroom II. I think most of us don't need PS CS-3 or even elements.