Photo 1 Depth-of-Field Step by Step
Depth-of-field is the range in which objects in your photograph are in focus. The fundamental way, in which a photographer controls light, is by changing the aperture and the shutter speed. These changes affect the way that your camera sees the subject. As an artist, you must take control of the camera and manipulate it to get the desired result. Small apertures will cause a deeper depth thus providing detail in the whole photograph. Large apertures will give you shallow depth-of-field; this will draw attention to the foreground.
22
16
11
Maximum
8
5.6
4
Depth of Field
Slower Shutter Needed
2.8 Minimum
Faster Shutter Needed
Photo #1 (Max Depth of Field) Step 1: Focus your camera on something not more than 5 feet away (like the handle bar in this example). DOF is exaggerated the closer you are to your subject so it is very important that you focus your camera on a subject that is NOT more than 5 feet away! Make sure that you can see some background. (like the other bikes and the building in this example.) Step 2: Set your shutter speed to 1/60th of a second. This is the slowest shutter speed you can use and still hold your camera by hand. This slow shutter speed will provide you with the smallest aperture possible and thus the MAX depth. Step 3: Take a light reading. (Exactly how to do this depends on the camera you are using so be carful to make sure you understand how to take accurate light readings with the camera you have.) Fine-tune the aperture to get your light meter “happy� and take the picture! Step 4: Make sure that you accurately log the subject, focus distance, aperture and shutter speed used. It should look something like the example below. ____________________________________________________________________ Subject:
Bike
Max depth:
Focus Distance:
22 16 11 8 5.6 4 2.8
2.5 feet
# of F-Stop Range:
60 125 250 500 1000 2000
Min depth: 22 16 11 8 5.6 4 2.8 60 125 250 500 1000 2000 _________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________ Photo #2 ( Depth of Field) Step 5: “Open-up” your aperture one f-stop at a time as you “speed-up” your shutter one fstop at a time. Do this until either your aperture or your shutter can’t go any farther. This will give you the MINIMUM depth of field while maintaining the EXACT same exposure as you had with the first photo. Important Note: Each photo will look exactly the same to you in the viewfinder but the film will see it differently when you take the picture. The point of the assignment is to train our eyes to see how various apertures effect depth of field but we won’t be able to see it until we develop the film. Step 6: Double check that your light meter has remained “happy” and be sure that your framing and focus has not changed. Take another picture. Step 7: Log every shot! Count your f-stop range and enter it on your log. Remember that your aperture and shutter MUST change the exact same number of f-stops! Your log should now looks something like this: ____________________________________________________________________ Subject:
Bike
Max depth:
Focus Distance:
22 16 11 8 5.6 4 2.8
2.5 feet
# of F-Stop Range:
60 125 250 500 1000 2000
Min depth: 22 16 11 8 5.6 4 2.8 60 125 250 500 1000 2000 _________________________________________________________________
Step 8: Repeat these steps to make as many sets of photographs as you can. 10 good sets will get you all 50 points. 8 good sets will get you 45 of 50 points. 3 good sets will get you 40 of 50 points. 1 good set will get you 35 of 50 points. You have a good set if and only if: Each negative in set has a subject that is less than 5 feet away and is clearly in focus. Each photo in set is the same in terms of subject matter and total exposure. There is a dramatic rage of depth of field clearly visible.
Remember: Load and unload your camera carefully Log every shot... even if you make a mistake. NEVER shoot into the sun. ALWAYS focus on something less than 5 feet away! Creativity will not be graded but it never hurts!
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