Backgrounds - birds

[Crazyhorse]

Hi

I notice in a lot of wildlife shots, particularly bird shots, it looks like sometimes the photographer has put a different background in. These seem to be either mottled green or a really nice deep beige colour with a mottled effect (If that makes sense).

Could someone please explain to me how they do it as I have cs4 but have never mastered the art of doing this successfully. All my attempts look like the animal has been cut and pasted.

Many thanks.

Lisa

 

[specialman]

A lot of the time it's just the effect of perspective compression when you use a long lens like a 300mm or 400mm with a wide aperture (f/2.8 or the like).

Basically, it's all about depth of field. If the background is far enough behind the subject it will appear out of focus and you'll get a blurred background.

 

[Jo]

As far as I'm aware none of the bird shots on the forum that I've seen recently have replaced backgrounds :shrug: But I could be wrong.

Like specialman says, it's all about the depth of field. Using f/5.6 (or less if you can) up to about f/8 (depending on how far back your background is of course), will give you those kind of results

HTH

 

[Yv]

Hi

These seem to be either mottled green or a really nice deep beige colour with a mottled effect (If that makes sense).


Lisa

Green - other foliage, as explained above, just dof on long lenses. The beige, common or garden fence usually

 

[Crazyhorse]

Thanks, I hadn't thought about that.

Lisa

 

[Trev Rich]

u mean like this?

behind the bird is a farmhouse, bushes, fields and lots of heathland....
But with the severe DoF thats what you see. No PS

 

[theMusicMan]

Or this green graduated background!

No Photoshop... just the field and a path out of focus.

 

[Trev Rich]

this is gonna turn into a look at my background shot

 

[theMusicMan]

this is gonna turn into a look at my background shot

Haha.... nice one Trev

 

[Yv]

:nuts: I have done too much time in front of computer, for a moment I read that as 'look at my backside shot' :bonk:

 

[LovesRaptors]

Nice one Trev, could i ask how do you find using the Sigma 170-500mm APO DG lens? a Newbie ty.

 

[u8myufo]

this is gonna turn into a look at my background shot

Or like this Golden rule of good bokeh, keep as much distance as you can form subject to background. Not always possible mind it.