What causes this effect?

[hi_racing]

Just curious if I'm doing something wrong as I haven't noticed the effect before. Notice how the water drops near the top of the shot look different?

This was shot in natural light - about an hour after sunrise. Handheld with our old 50mm 1.8.

IMG_0383 by HI Racing, on Flickr

I saw it a few weeks ago in different lighting conditions:

Roadside Ribs by HI Racing, on Flickr

Thanks for taking the time to look.

[cwescapexlt4x4]

Strange effect on the water drops, normally you'd be experiencing either contrast via DOF (depth of field) or Bokeh (google if you don't know it), but that rendering is a bit strange.

[Willybudista]

Ok what it happens here its basically depth of field, probably you shot at f1.8 or 2.0 and that will focus a very short plane in the scene, basically only the closest thing to you, everything a little further will look defocus ( bokeh effect) so there you have the response to your question

[ohsnappe2]

guys if the lens has f1.8 why waste your time shooting it at anything else?

[hi_racing]

Thanks for the replies. Both of those were at f1.8.

Here's another shot with that lens in shaded afternoon light (at f1.8) and it didn't have that effect:

IMG_8754 by HI Racing, on Flickr

I went back through my library and don't have many shots with similar lighting and subject matter. Friday was probably the last day for a while to get unfrozen water drops at sunrise around here for a while.

[adrew]

Thanks for the replies. Both of those were at f1.8.

Here's another shot with that lens in shaded afternoon light (at f1.8) and it didn't have that effect:

I went back through my library and don't have many shots with similar lighting and subject matter. Friday was probably the last day for a while to get unfrozen water drops at sunrise around here for a while.

On the child one it is because your subject is far away. Fast primes blur out the background when shot wide open and focused close-up. Bright points of light like those water drops or Christmas lights generally give you some kind of effect. See how the image is focused on the lights in the foreground and the ones at varying distances in the background appear differently?


The shape of the effect depends on the number/shape of the aperture blades in the lens.

[hi_racing]

Thanks so much adrew! Much appreciated!

[ohsnappe2]

im feeling star bokeh

[Willybudista]

Thanks for the replies. Both of those were at f1.8.

Here's another shot with that lens in shaded afternoon light (at f1.8) and it didn't have that effect:

IMG_8754 by HI Racing, on Flickr

I went back through my library and don't have many shots with similar lighting and subject matter. Friday was probably the last day for a while to get unfrozen water drops at sunrise around here for a while.

It doesnt have that effect because your distance with the subject is bigger, the more distance with your subject the smallest the bokeh effect or DOF

[Basscase]

This is a really strange bokeh.

[Twelvizm]

The interesting thing about your shot at the top is not just the normal blur (bokeh) from the shallow depth of field, but how the light being focused through the water drops is being captured. It seems that the light is coming back into focus the further away from the lens it gets. Pretty cool. I'm going to have to try and re-create that. Shallow DOF and water is always fun.

[sonicGLI]

im feeling star bokeh

Although that's technically not bokeh

Bokeh is the quality of the OOF area, it's not the OOF area itself. Your stars are the OOF area. The quality of those stars would be the bokeh

[ohsnappe2]

technically, I wasnt really feeling it.

[sonicGLI]

Technically, you were

feel·ing
   [fee-ling] Show IPA
noun
1. the function or the power of perceiving by touch.
2. physical sensation not connected with sight, hearing, taste, or smell.
3. a particular sensation of this kind: a feeling of warmth; a feeling of pain.
4. the general state of consciousness considered independently of particular sensations, thoughts, etc.
5. a consciousness or vague awareness: a feeling of inferiority.