Aperture and Depth of Field

During a recent visit to the lake, as the dog and I were strolling through the forest next door, I decided to play with the aperture settings on my camera. After settling on looking up a poplar tree for my experiment, I rested the camera body on the tree and aimed my 50mm macro lens up towards the sky.

First, I wanted a very narrow depth of field, so I set my f-stop quite low. This meant the aperture was wide open, letting lots of light in:

1/400 sec at f/3.5, ISO 400, Sony a55 w/50 mm macro lens

Then, to see how the same photo would look like with a wider depth of field, I opted for a larger f-stop. This meant the aperture was narrower, not letting in as much light.  I was having trouble focusing on the same spot as the last photo, so while it’s not a perfect compassion, it still works.

1/100 sec a f/11, ISO 400, Sony a55 w/50 mm macro lens

You can tell the difference in light by the shutter speed difference between the two shots.  I don’t know about you, but I kind of like the abstract nature of the first shot.

 

This old house

The other weekend we went to a family get together in rural Alberta.  The hall we camped at used to be a school, the school my dad went to as a kid.  The building has since been expanded, renovated, running water added, a furnace, kitchen, all the perks we take for granted these days.

Across the field, where many a soccer/frisbee/softball/football game are played, is a small hedgerow between the hall property and the adjacent farm field. In the trees lies the old teacherage, where the school teacher lived. It’s slowly sinking into the ground (if I tried to walk through the door without ducking, the frame would hit me in the eyes – an interesting experience for a short person like me!), one wall is gone, and the roof is collapsing.

But there’s something almost magical about it, something I can’t quite put into words.

1/60 sec at f/11, ISO 200 – Sony a55

1/80 sec at f/9.0, ISO 200 – Sony a55

 

UPDATE: Yay UPS!

Look what was waiting for me when I got home!!

UPS, we’re cool again 🙂

HTC cell phone picture

 

Daycare art!

I was thinking (shocking, I know) that since I’m trying to be a photography blog, I should include the common photo settings with my pictures. So, now I’m going to try and remember to include that for the pictures from my Sony and Pentax. I can’t promise anything for the cell phone pictures, I don’t really have control over that!

And now, on with the show….

1/30 sec at f/6.3, ISO 400, 50mm macro

One of my favorite parts of daycare is getting the little art projects they work on during the week.

1/80 sec at f/2.8, ISO 250, 50mm macro

I have some at work, have given some to the grandparents, and tucked some away. You know, just cuz 😉

1/25 sec at f/6.3, ISO 400, 50mm macro

And while I know she isn’t cutting the flowers and leaves, I know she’s pouring the glue, chucking sparkles and putting the flowers and leaves on the paper.

1/25 sec at f/6.3, ISO 400, 50mm macro

Still counts for me.

 

Fotoless Friday – Sayings

Do you and your significant other (or friend, family member, etc.) say things to each other that someone listening from the outside might just go ‘huh?’

Tuesday, Daryn and I were sitting around the (unlit) firepit and I turned to him and said

“The snipper lost it’s whip”

He turned to me and I could tell he knew what I meant.

Do you?

 

A little something for me

It may not be much, and it sure as heck didn’t cost much, but it’s still a little something for me.

I sewed the missing button on my super comfy looks-like-a-suit-jacket-but-feels-like-a-sweater jacket. And then reinforced the other three buttons so it won’t happen again 🙂

Some days, it really is about the little things.

 

Happy St Paddy’s Day!

May the luck o’ the Irish be with you today!

Special thanks to a very understanding coworker who didn’t ask for an explanation when I wanted to take a picture of her leprechaun 🙂

 

How to tell if you have a toddler in the house

Step 1 – have ground dwelling objects found a new perch?

 

December 10 – Then and now

The top sleeper is Kirra’s coming home outfit from the hospital, and the bottom one is what she was wearing now.  I like seeing comparison shots like this, since they grow so quick and sometimes I forget how tiny she was, especially since she’s still so tiny ♥

 

November 30 – Munchkin’s toothbrush

When Kirra was about 3 months old I first noticed a white bump that I thought was a molar coming in at first. But molars usually don’t arrive until near their first birthday, so the next time I was at the doctor’s I asked. She referred me to a pediatric dentist. turns out it was a Bohn’s nodule, which eventually disappeared on its own.

Why does this matter? Because at the follow-up visit to the dentist, they gave Kirra a little toothbrush to brush her little teeth.