time lapse flower opening

[Roy Morales]

what I have so far

Right now -5-27-12
Camera and flash in manual on Bogen tripod – may have to use gimbal head from Benro tripod , may use ring light instead of flash - it is alway on - will it reach 5 to 6 feet ?
Camera at 5 to 6 feet from plant Will a flash / led / lamp be to bright during day ?
I have to figure out if constant light on bud will look funny at night with no sun light - - maybe the lamp idea or leds ?

Lens = 10-22 – set around 14 mm for DOF at 5 to 6 feet - at 5 feet away - tripod to flower bud .
An F 4 OR 5.6 do test shots for DOF - F 8 can cause flickering
Looks like a speed of 1/30 , one shot every hour
May need an ND filter to compensate for sun during day – do a few test shots if no answer to posed question
Shoot large JPEG - and RAW - I have a 16 GB , and 32 gb - should be big enough - [ raw = May want one or 2 single shots later - just take longer to batch ] cropping probably needed with the 10-22 at 14 mm
Since I want to do an angels trumpet [ brugmansia ] and flower hangs down - the flash should be under camera - pointed up – shadows or the / ring light under bud ?
A few questions
Flash or led light on plant ? If I just turn on a light for days will it effect plant ? What kind of light ?
I have no buds starting to form yet on shorter plants that are in pots .

 

[Hamish Gill]

5 feet away with a lens set at 14mm ... Would it not be tiny?
Im not sure I follow entirely

If you use a flash on ittl or equiv it should adjust to only fill light in the day time ... Not sure how well it would work though...
some preliminary experiments would be advised I'd say!
Very interested to see how you get on though!

 

[Roy Morales]

These flowers can easily reach 14 inches long and 7 inches wide . They start out at about 70 to 90 degrees from ground [ figure the sun is at 0 degrees ] and droop down to 160 degrees .
Going by a DOF chart , I need 14 mm for the DOF .
From all I read - the camera and flash need to be in manual .
Flash - I suck at . I do use the pop up for fill a lot .
The only real time I use manual is in bulb mode and I don't even know if that is considered manual .
[ This was for getting lightning shots and no all I got with lit up fog . ]
Any advice is welcome .
I have wanted to do this for years and last year I decided to take cuttings from plants and try to get one to bloom in a 5 gallon pot .
A little back ground - last year I decided to go for total knee replacement in February . I took cuttings hoping for flowers in Sept / early Oct for flowers . Had operation scheduled for May - Doctor had an emergency and went to NY . Rescheduled for September - new Doctor never showed / could not get a license in Calif . Finally ask for a referral in Feb , had it done in March .
Anyway having other knee done next month and I am bored silly - read and searched and posted questions on a few sites .

 

[Hamish Gill]

A 7' subject with a lens that wide is going to be small
my first advice would be to frame the shot as you expect to take it and come back to use with the shot ... From there we may be able to help a little more I think

- - - Updated - - -

Good luck with the knee btw!!

 

[Roy Morales]

Thanks thing about it - sounds like you are right .
I will try to get out there to day to snap a few shots . I really have not done anything with camera since March - probably to cautious , but taking the pills for pain - I am not supposed to drive and I don't want to drop camara .
I guess I will try at 14 mm then jump to 22 . I will go and check the DOF charts again
Yesterday , I checked - no buds yet .
I did find another site - timescapes -

 

[Hamish Gill]

Unless im missing something?
100mm lens at 5' will give 4.5cm DOF ... Why would you new more than that for a flower?
im not saying 100mm is perfect ... Just giving you an idea of DOF

 

[Roy Morales]

4.5 cm gives about 1.7 inches . The flower is about 18 cm wide and about 35 to 40 cm long . figuring it hangs at an angle , I think I need at least 50 mm DOF .
looks like you were right 14 mm is going to be to small to see flower . I went out with the 10-22 , 17-55 and the 180 macro and took a few shots of flowers already open .
Now to figure out how to post .
By the way , the pictures suck quality wise , started on full auto and changed , but was not thinking clear .
The shot that is labeled yard has the creme colored flower in it about 1/3 of the way from right and about 1/3 down from top . Kind of sticks out - creme in a lot of green . For some reason the 55 mm shots will not load . I could only get 6 out of 14 shots to load .
The 180 shots are to big and I don't know if the 70-200 at 70 will work . Maybe later I can get downstairs again and try the 28-135 between 55 and 70 and the 70 between 70 and 85 . I have not checked the DOF CHARTS yet

 

[Roy Morales]

Some of the shots would not load , some I adjusted in preview but they can be seen here . I also have them in raw - almost always shoot raw +jpeg

flowers - moralesfamily's Photos

the number mean 6ft 14 mm - I was about 6 ft away and shot at 14 mm . sorry the exif data does not come thru - not sure on smugmug .the shots today are pages 18 thru 20

 

[Roy Morales]

Thanks , I do appreciate all the advice .
Did a little more checking and think I am back to the 17-55 or the 10-22 at around 17 mm .
I will try for a few more shots . [ Yesterday I was just to Dizzy to even go downstairs till around noon . ]
I like the DOF at 3 feet on the 17-55 [ my favorite lens ]
I did lighten this shot . My hand is about 3 1/2 inches wide [ for a little reference ]
Both the new battery for quantum flask [ external pack for 580 ] and the DC coupler came in mail Saturday