Rowan - playing with very large apertures. Does it work?

Cynthia Crawford wrote: I like this effect very much! The background works beautifully as does the focus on the berries. And the leaves are just right as a softer element. The berries have a nice feel to them and they stand out without being overly sharpened. Colors are so pleasing!
By the way, I think a cropped version would work well too, similar to the thumbnail on the page.

(We have a rowan tree- it doesn't have so many large clusters of berries, but I love it. You've inspired me to try some similar photos ..though I have nothing that goes  to 1.8! )

Markus Jais wrote:

Cynthia Crawford wrote: I like this effect very much! The background works beautifully as does the focus on the berries. And the leaves are just right as a softer element. The berries have a nice feel to them and they stand out without being overly sharpened. Colors are so pleasing!
By the way, I think a cropped version would work well too, similar to the thumbnail on the page.

(We have a rowan tree- it doesn't have so many large clusters of berries, but I love it. You've inspired me to try some similar photos ..though I have nothing that goes  to 1.8! )

Thanks for the feedback. This is very helpful.
These berries are also great to attract birds to the garden.

I think with a more distant background one wouldn't need f1.8, but here it was indeed helpful. The Plena is quite heavy and it only has a magnification ration of 0.2, so often one cannot get close enough but here it worked.
Optically this lens is in a league of it's own.

Cynthia Crawford wrote:

Markus Jais wrote:

Cynthia Crawford wrote: I like this effect very much! The background works beautifully as does the focus on the berries. And the leaves are just right as a softer element. The berries have a nice feel to them and they stand out without being overly sharpened. Colors are so pleasing!
By the way, I think a cropped version would work well too, similar to the thumbnail on the page.

(We have a rowan tree- it doesn't have so many large clusters of berries, but I love it. You've inspired me to try some similar photos ..though I have nothing that goes  to 1.8! )

Thanks for the feedback. This is very helpful.
These berries are also great to attract birds to the garden.

I think with a more distant background one wouldn't need f1.8, but here it was indeed helpful. The Plena is quite heavy and it only has a magnification ration of 0.2, so often one cannot get close enough but here it worked.
Optically this lens is in a league of it's own.

I'd never be able to hold such a heavy lens! Our berries are up high as well. So far, the birds have not eaten them. I think waxwings and such like those berries, but they don't hang out in our woods. I'm inclined to try with a long lens....