Wildflowers

[John R]

I found some interesting wildflowers in the most unlikely place, High park, Toronto. I guess, in some areas of the park they are trying to cultivate wildflowers by not cutting the grasses until the flowers have seeded in late summer or autumn. Here is a cluster sample, whose name I am still trying to determine. I think they are type of sneezeweed called 'blanket flower', so beautiful, they are!

JMR

[Ed Blagden]

Like the first one - the dreamy blur plus the shaft of sunlight in the centre makes the image.  The second is too sharp for my taste and could do with some sunlight.

Incidentally, how do you do this technique?  

Ed

[wolfnowl]

The second image is blanket flower, but the first one shows black eyed Susans.

Mike.

[John R]

The second image is blanket flower, but the first one shows black eyed Susans.

Mike.

Thanks Mike. I added the Balck eyed Susan's later, but the blanket flower was harder to identify because the book did not have a photo to compare.

JMR

[John R]

Like the first one - the dreamy blur plus the shaft of sunlight in the centre makes the image.  The second is too sharp for my taste and could do with some sunlight.

Incidentally, how do you do this technique?  

Ed

The first is actually an in-camera double exposure. One image in focus, the other out of focus and shallow depth of field. The second image was done in Photo Elements and two layers, one gausian blur, the second straight. Thanks for the comments.

JMR

[Ed Blagden]

The first is actually an in-camera double exposure. One image in focus, the other out of focus and shallow depth of field. The second image was done in Photo Elements and two layers, one gausian blur, the second straight. Thanks for the comments.

JMR

Gee, I didn't know you could do a double exposure with a digital SLR.  I really must get round to reading the manual one of these days.  Thanks!

Ed

[John R]

Just added a three more images for anyone that cares to look: one of vervain (violet-purple), a backlit scene of flowers and grasses, but I am still trying to identify this one; and blackeyed susan's and grasses. I got a little poison ivy for all my troubles on this last outing.

JMR

[Ed Blagden]

Gee, I didn't know you could do a double exposure with a digital SLR.  I really must get round to reading the manual one of these days.

OK, so I did read the manual for my Canon 5D, and went through all the menus, and there is nothing about in camera double exposure.  So I guess it isn't possible for me, or am I missing something?

[John R]

OK, so I did read the manual for my Canon 5D, and went through all the menus, and there is nothing about in camera double exposure.  So I guess it isn't possible for me, or am I missing something?

Sorry, can't help you, I don't have a Canon. I have a cheap Pentax! I would be very surprised if your camera does not perform multiple exposures.

JMR

[Ed Blagden]

Sorry, can't help you, I don't have a Canon. I have a cheap Pentax! I would be very surprised if your camera does not perform multiple exposures.

JMR

Thanks - I posted a query on the Equipment and Techniques forum, and apparently you can't do it on most DSLRs, certainly not Canon.  Shame.  And as far as I know you can't do it in Lightroom either.

[John R]

Thanks - I posted a query on the Equipment and Techniques forum, and apparently you can't do it on most DSLRs, certainly not Canon.  Shame.  And as far as I know you can't do it in Lightroom either.

I also queried the internet and am shocked to read that most DSLR's don't have a multiple exposure feature. According to most sites the way to go is through photoshop. I personally think photoshop is bloated and was really designed for artists and illustrators, but of course, it is now a staple for many photographers.

The other way is this method, which used to be on this site:

But I no longer see it. You can look at the top notch samples. So try this: Use tripod. Shoot image about 1/3 to 1/2 overexposed and in focus. Shoot a second image 1/3 to 1/2 over exposed of same scene and out of focus (as much as you want-experiment) and use wide open aperture like F4 or larger. Then in any program overlap or superimpose the images on one another. Try variations of exposure and see what works best, because I have noticed that combining digital overexposure does not work the same way as film. So experiment.

JMR