Composition and camera setting recommendations - EOS 90D and a tripod

[Ramsden]

Hi folks 

Apologies for posting a picture taken with my phone - but an hour ago, I was walking my dog and only had my phone when I came across this beautiful wall of Haworth in full bloom. 

So I'm heading back tomorrow with EOS90D and tripod, and am seeking some advice to capture this hedgerow at its best.

I have a 50 and 100 prime and a small wide angle, plus a couple of zooms. But I guess at the root of post is to work out the best aperture (s) and ideas to capture the size of the hedgerow, while picking out some detail.

As ever, your advice will be well received.

Thanks 

Ramsden 

 

[Ramsden]

Thanks Steve 

That is just the sort of help/feedback that I appreciate. That will be part of tomorrow's plan.

Cheers 

Ramsden 

[LeeP]

Here is an answer to your basic question (to add to the others who have joined in with excellent advice).

I would suggest NOT standing or using a tripod level perspective for all of your shots. If it is safe to sit on the road--maybe take someone along to be your spotter--do so and use the widest wide angle lens you have to get the Haworth to feel like it's towering over you.

If you have time, take a lot of pictures with different perspectives. Please feel free to share with us as most of us do not bite. I look forward to your success.

[LeeP]

Often the 50mm isn't so nifty. The image you want to capture would work with wide-angle lenses to get that immediacy of the size of the bushes or telephoto to compress the space visually.

[LeeP]

This is something quite unique for many of us. Growing up I had a great uncle who lived in Watsonville California on Old Adobe Road and the road in the photo reminds me a lot of my distant memories of Old Adobe Road.

[Ramsden]

Thanks Lee 

Point taken on the safety.

And as you say, a tripod isn't the best option for the type of shots I need to take.

I'm really looking forwards to going  back today.

Apologies for an early spell check mistake- its a Hawthorn bush - not Haworth. Haworth is where the Bronte sisters lived!

Thanks again for your help 

Ramsden 

[SignifDigits]

I might be too late to this party 🙂

All excellent advice so far.  The key to wide angle is getting close enough - you probably cannot get too close.  When Lee mentioned different perspectives I suspect he meant also shooting from low to high - especially if there is blue or clouds or even the sunshine coming from a corner.  If you have a white sheet take it with you to lay down and reflect the light to fill in the shadows, and if you use a flash, if you can, use it off the camera.

I'm assuming you cannot take a ladder - high to low is also good, and creates a different sense - more of a "overseeing" perspective.  Low to high adds strength/power to the subject.

[LeeP]

Hilarious. I was thinking Hawthorn, but assumed that I didn't know everything, so I went with it. I want to go to the UK for this type of road scene in the countryside which is exactly something I would love to photograph. 

[ebiggs1]

" I then tried to turn my limited photographic knowledge into turning this phenomenon into something special and different "

Ah, yes, this is what separates the good ones, the great ones, from the rest of us. Think outside the box. Soem have the eye and some of us have to work at it. Try all sorts of different stuff. Most of it won't work but suddenly that one will. All the suggestions are OK but you are the one that is there. Think what is your minds eye seeing? The great thing about digital is you can shoot a lot. 

The very best advice you have received so far is shoot raw and use DPP4 or some other fine editor. Great photos are made in post not in the camera.

[BurnUnit · Accepted solution]

This sort of shooting wouldn't really require a tripod. You don't need to concentrate on one single focus point and in daylight you should have no problem keeping the shutter speed up. Even if you bump up the ISO a bit the 90D should deal well with any noise issues.

Plus shooting hand-held encourages you to move around more freely to try different ways to compose and frame your shots. And the tilt-flip LCD makes it easier to try some low or high angle shots using Live View. After using my 60D for all these years I can't imagine buying any other DSLR without a tilt-swivel LCD.

[Ramsden]

Thanks for all your great responses to my questions. I'm quite overwhelmed and have learnt so much.

Guess what, when I went back today, half the blossom was on the deck -  but I soldiered on!

 Now I have a problem loading some of photos  onto gallery. I keep going round in circles. Can someone please run me through the process. I've got a basic Samsung phone and an old ipad which  both have Canon apps installed

Thanks 

Ramsden