What lens or technique would work best in this situation?

[Geraldine Powell]

I am trying to get a stone wall which is about 2 feet away from me in focus and the trees in the background extremely out of focus.
When I use my 210 lens, even wide-open, the trees are too much in focus. I know I can alter it in photoshop but I just don't think the result is as good as the real thing.
I tried a nikon 120 macro lens. It got the effect I wanted with trees really OOF, but in order to get the amount of wall I want in the image I get vignetting.
I did try tilts and shifts because I thought I ought to be able to do this, but the wall is 2/3 of the image and I can't get the OOF line where I want.

Is there some obvious answer to this that I am not seeing?

G.

[Kirk Gittings]

What format are you shooting?

[C. D. Keth]

Tilt the front standard back some. That should restrict depth of field in the direction you're concerned with. Too much and you won't be able to get the whole surface of the wall in focus.

[Armin Seeholzer]

Its tricky to give an answer without knowing how far the trees are!
But I would take my 8x10 inch and my 480mm Xenar at f 5.6 and the trees would be much more unsharp as with the 210mm!
And a bigger the format as lesser DOF!

Cheers Armin

[Peter Gomena]

Put some type of diffusion over the top part of the lens, just enough to reach the top of the wall.

[Nathan Potter]

As Armin says. A further reduction in the depth of field is one approach. So use a much longer focal length lens about wide open if you have one available. Using a 4X5 format with a 210mm I would jump to my 500 Nikon ED tele wide open with a lot of bracing.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Geraldine Powell]

Thank you everyone! Those suggestions are a great help. I am shooting 4x5. I have access to a 450mm lens and I will try that asap. It will be physically difficult because the camera will be on the ground. I always seem to end up laying on plastic on damp grass, but if I can get what I envisage, it will be worth it.
Geraldine

[C. D. Keth]

Honestly if you're laying on damp grass, you still got the long end of the stick. It could be much worse, an you won't be one of the millions of people who never stray from taking pictures from chest or eye height.

[Bernice Loui]

Try the 450mm lens at the largest aperture possible.This might get the results you're after.
If not, go to a smaller format using the same 450mm again at the largest aperture.

Some tripods allows the camera to be hung upside down inside the tripod legs which might be a camera support option.


Bernice

Thank you everyone! Those suggestions are a great help. I am shooting 4x5. I have access to a 450mm lens and I will try that asap. It will be physically difficult because the camera will be on the ground. I always seem to end up laying on plastic on damp grass, but if I can get what I envisage, it will be worth it.
Geraldine

[Bernice Loui]

***

Try the 450mm lens at the largest aperture possible.This might get the results you're after.
If not, go to a ( larger ) format using the same 450mm again at the largest aperture.

Some tripods allows the camera to be hung upside down inside the tripod legs which might be a camera support option.


Bernice