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Photography - Critique: Using perspective in PS to create impact from a otherwise flat image

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    I am learning how to use perspective in Photoshop (CS3), and was experimenting with a photo of a crab taken this week in South Carolina. I wanted to create more impact by having the crab appear to come out from the sand: the original photo was straight on and centered in the frame, and I tilted the crab up, and then stretched it such that the dominant claw got even bigger.

    Please see the image, and let me know your thoughts:

    Thanks,

    Bill Jennings
    bill@jenningsfotos.com
    jenningsfotos.aminus3.com
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      CommentAuthorowlmountain
    • CommentTimeSep 19th 2009 edited
     
    Hi Bill,
    I have to say that I like the effect. Tilting the subject works very well here and probably, I would've tilted it even more, so the crab would appear more diagonally across the frame. The perspective effect is very subtle so it's hard to say, but I guess that was your intention.

    As always with this type of subject, my attention is drawn to the eyes and what unique eyes they are !! They should be the main focal point of the composition and thus, tack sharp, but in this case I am not sure if that's where your focus point was.
    Also, in your description you say that you wanted to emphasize the dominant claw, unfortunately it is in front of the DOF plane and therefore out of focus. Judging by the EXIF info, you must've been very close to the crab, and therefore, with this aperture on a wide lens like that, your depth of field was very narrow.

    Just as an example, assuming you were about 0.5m away from the crab, with full frame camera like yours, aperture of 7.1 and focal length of 84mm, your DOF plane was only about 12 to 14mm deep, that's about the width of my thumb ! That's why it is so tricky and difficult to focus where you want, especially when the subject doesn't appreciate your efforts and moves around, silly crab...!!! Longer lens and smaller aperture is the key. Of course very often you want a narrow DOF, but in this case having at least the front halve of the crab in focus, including the claws and eyes would've been ideal.

    For those interested more in the subject of Depth of Field and how to control it better I highly recommend this tutorial.
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    Owlmountain - thanks for the link to the DOF tutorial, and making me rethink the subject : which should have been the eyes, not the claw, as I had said. I appreciate your depth of a response: gives me much to think about... Just what I was hoping for posting to this forum.

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