Photo Assignment October '07: Depth of Field

[handicap18]

New month, new assignment. Depth of Field. This seems to have come up more than a few times recently. So lets get out there and see what we can come up with.

Shallow Depth of Field: Where only a small part of the picture is in focus, everything else is out of focus.

Deept Depth of Field: Where everything in the picture is in focus.

I think along the way of this assignments thread others can give more of a tutorial, but generally speaking to get a Shallow DOF you want a Big aperture, ie: small number. Like f/4 to f/1.4. To get a deept DOF you want a small aperture, ie: big number. Like f/16 to f/22.

I think showing or including EXIFdata is pretty important for those learning, especially for this assignment.

The subject in the image can be of anything so long as it fits and shows Depth of Field in either direction.

Lets see what we can come up with. We see lots of great shots that fit here and I know many people would like to take shots like them, but don't know how. Well now's everyone's chance to practice and see what their camera can do.

Have fun!!!!!

 

[handicap18]

I'll start it off with examples of both. I took them on Sat (though it was still Sept) with this assignment in mind.

Shallow DOF:


ISO 200; 1/800th, f/4


Deep Depth of Field:


ISO 200, 1/60th, f/14

 

[jtimmons]

This one leaves the moth and leaf in full focus, but everything else is blurred.

Nikon D50
300mm
1/1000 second
f/5.6
Auto White Balance

 

[gokenin]

this is my first attempt at depth of field so have lots to learn

File size: 191076 bytes
File date: 2007:10:03 06:10:37
Camera make: PENTAX Corporation
Camera model: PENTAX K100D
Date/Time: 2007:10:03 07:22:54
Resolution: 800 x 532
Flash used: No
Focal length: 180.0mm (35mm equivalent: 270mm)
Exposure time: 0.0080 s (1/125)
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO equiv.: 800
Whitebalance: Auto
Metering Mode: spot
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)

File size: 185138 bytes
File date: 2007:10:03 06:10:55
Camera make: PENTAX Corporation
Camera model: PENTAX K100D
Date/Time: 2007:10:03 07:23:08
Resolution: 800 x 532
Flash used: No
Focal length: 180.0mm (35mm equivalent: 270mm)
Exposure time: 0.050 s (1/20)
Aperture: f/13.0
ISO equiv.: 800
Whitebalance: Auto
Metering Mode: spot
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)

File size: 208412 bytes
File date: 2007:10:03 06:11:13
Camera make: PENTAX Corporation
Camera model: PENTAX K100D
Date/Time: 2007:10:03 07:23:20
Resolution: 800 x 532
Flash used: No
Focal length: 180.0mm (35mm equivalent: 270mm)
Exposure time: 0.250 s (1/4)
Aperture: f/32.0
ISO equiv.: 800
Whitebalance: Auto
Metering Mode: spot
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)

 

[Gdad]

I love this monts assignment! I can't wait to get out and take some pictures now!

 

[Suburbanmom]

Just this morning, I was reading Bryan Peterson's Understanding Exposure and I was on the chapter about depth of field and I was thinking, I really need to work on this. Thanks for giving a little push to get out there and try some new techniques. I'll be posting soon.

 

[Disney*Dreamer]

I took this one at Disney. I didn't set out to take it, but I am wondering if it is considered a shallow DOF. I am just learning about Aperture, along with everything else. And this is one that I want to learn a lot about, because I love the effect, I think it adds a lot of drama to very plain pictures.

F-Stop f/4
Exposure time 1/320 sec
ISO speed ISO-160
Focal Length 41mm
Max Aperture 3
Metering Mode Pattern



Also the thing I get confused with when setting the Aperture, is what to she the ISO at. Well honestly, all of it confuses me, lol. I have no idea what anything is supposed to be set at.

 

[0bli0]

body: epson rd1 digital rangefinder
lens: voigtlander nokton 35mm f/1.2 mc
iso: 400
shutter speed: 1/120
focal length: 35mm
aperture: f/1.2
flash: no flash
focus: manual focus
lighting: illuminated by 2 11w flourescent lights almost directly overhead (the bathroom light)
subject: 11 months old
water: H2o

 

[0bli0]

2 views of a the same subject. different cameras, different lenses, different medium, different form factors. same aperture. similar focal length. taken within a minute of each other.


digital
body: canon 1dmk3
aps-h 1.3x 'crop factor' (smaller than 35mm - larger than aps-c 1.6x)
24-70 f/2.8L
70mm
f/2.8
shutter speed: 1/60



film
body: bronica etr
format: 645 medium format (2.65 times larger than 35mm)
lens: zenzanon 75mm f/2.8
focal length: 75mm
f/2.8
shutter speed: 1/8
film: ilford pan-f+ (developed in hc110 - dilution 'E' for 5.5 minutes @ 20c)
iso:50
shaken, not stirred (ok technically tipped twice every 30 seconds)

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I'm glad you picked it because it's something I've been meaning to practice more. Here are my first attempts at shooting just for DOF.

Focal length: 37.8mm (35mm equivalent: 238mm)
Exposure time: 0.0025 s (1/400)
Aperture: f/3.5
Whitebalance: Auto
Metering Mode: matrix

Focal length: 32.2mm (35mm equivalent: 203mm)
Exposure time: 0.0016 s (1/640)
Aperture: f/3.5
Whitebalance: Auto
Metering Mode: matrix

 

[Disney*Dreamer]

This one was taken right outside of Splash Mt, just where the parade starts. Cute little guy, my son wanted to take him home.

 

[valandemmy]

These are shots from our beach trip in April.

Fstop F/3.7
ISO 160

Fstop F/2.8
ISO 64

Fstop F/3.3
ISO 160

I am horrible at manual adjustments, so these shots are all Trial and error
any advice on what to do different would be great.

 

[LMarge]

body: epson rd1 digital rangefinder
lens: voigtlander nokton 35mm f/1.2 mc
iso: 400
shutter speed: 1/120
focal length: 35mm
aperture: f/1.2
flash: no flash
focus: manual focus
lighting: illuminated by 2 11w flourescent lights almost directly overhead (the bathroom light)
subject: 11 months old
water: H2o

I LOVE this!! I especially appreciate your commentary on the lighting, subject and props!!

 

[LMarge]

shaken, not stirred (ok technically tipped twice every 30 seconds)[/

Obli0 - I don't know why - but I just started chuckling when I read that!! I just had this James Bond in a dark room image!! OK - perhaps that not such a bad thing!!!

On a serious note, only you could make a clothes pin look that interesting!

 

[0bli0]

thanks Marge, for the comments this is a great subject this month.

i love the picture of Kalen. it's bloody hard to get an 11 month old to be in the focus plane with a f/1.2 lens - especially manually focussed. for some reason, when i exported the .jpg, it's not nearly as nice (the exposure seems off) as the original raw file (and the print we have in the living room).

re: the clothes pin (peg as we'd call it here) - i was surprised at how different the shots came out. the tipping vs shaking is the type of agitation when the negatives are in the developer. it can have a dramatic effect on the way the negatives turn out. i should also point out - the Kalen shot was taken this month. the others weren't...

btw i love valandemmy's first under pier shot!

 

[AndrewWG]

Well, here is a try on a California Poppy. I thought the deeper DOF would be greater, but I will have to try some more I guess. Also it is VERY hard to get great focus at f1.8. I didn't want to go above f14 as the shutter was at 1/50 and I was using my 50mm lens. As I understand it, that is pushing it a bit for handheld, especially with the 1.6x crop factor. I could have bumped the ISO, but I wanted them to both be at 100.


Andy

Exposure time: 0.0003 s (1/3200)
Aperture: f/1.8
ISO equiv.: 100
Whitebalance: Auto
Metering Mode: spot
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)

Exposure time: 0.020 s (1/50)
Aperture: f/14.0
ISO equiv.: 100
Whitebalance: Auto
Metering Mode: spot
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)

 

[AndrewWG]

Another shallow DOF photo of a "friend" that my DD caught in the yard the other day (although it was in September).

Andy

Exposure time: 0.0002 s (1/6400)
Aperture: f/1.8
ISO equiv.: 1000
Whitebalance: Auto
Metering Mode: spot
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)

 

[Master Mason]

Here is another thing that shallow DOF will let you do. This was shot though a chain link fence at f/2.8. It makes the subject a little softer, but you can not see the fence I was shooting through.

ISO 100
SS 1/1600
f/2.8
shot in RAW
PP in Lightroom (slight color adjustment and crop)

 

[LMarge]

Master Mason,
When I've tried this with the S2IS, it never works - needless to say I sat with my camera poked thru the link in a fence for most of baseball season! Do you know if this is a problem with the S2, you just can't seem to override the focus, even in manual. Perhaps it's something I'm doing/not doing? Any suggestions?

 

[Master Mason]

I try to get about 5 ft from the fence, and put the focus point on the very center, so if I move, sometimes it will focus on the fence, and I have to move around a bit. I usually do this in av mode.

I am really not familiar enough with the sX line to say more, I have only played around with an S3 for about 30 minutes one time.