Assignment #2 "Depth of Field"

f 22 at 1/60 50mm lens

f 11 at 1/250 50mm lens

f 4 at 1/2000 50mm lens


Your first assignment is “Depth of Field”. Read the information in your book and instruction manual. Choose a subject(s) that has meaning to you.

Photograph the same ("non-moving") subject in three exposures without moving the camera position. Thinking in terms of distances from the camera, try sensing a foreground, middle ground and background in your shot. Look at the lighting and make sure shapes are being distinguished. Focus on the foreground or near middle ground. Do not change your focus once you begin shooting a set. Before you shoot make sure your exposure range will work for the light you choose. You may want to start wide open (f2.8 or 4) and make sure that your shutter speed will match the scene on both ends of the scale. Slight adjustments of your ISO are OK. You want to plan to complete the assignment in the same kind of light throughout.

First use a wide f –stop (2.8 or 4 ). (If you use the lowest or highest f number you won't be able to bracket past it- that's OK just bracket in one direction). Adjust the shutter speed to get a normal exposure. When you bracket on this assignment, use your aperture settings (like you did in the grey card test: ½ stop each way). Then take a shot at f-8 and finally at f-16 or 22 or whatever the smallest aperture your lens has. When you finish a set of shots, you should have 7- 9 exposures taken all of the same scene.

After shooting your initial set, create a variation. If you have a zoom lens set your lens at 50 mm for first set of shots and for a variation zoom in at least to 80mm and repeat the first part of the assignment. If you don’t have a zoom, but a fixed lens, then move into the foreground object as close as it will focus and repeat the first part of the assignment. Try macro if you have it.

               f22 at 1/50 all this set shot at ISO 160 with a focal length of 85mm

                                                     f9 at 1/320

                                                   f5.6 at 1/800

                 Variation- moved in closer   f22 at 1/40

                                         f9 at 1/250

                                         f5.6 at 1/640            Levon Parian

For a more technical interpretation of Depth of Field visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34jkJoN8qOI
 or
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/depth-of-field.htm



Understanding Lenses and Perspective:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsrNjycYUdQ

https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-mediums/drawing/learn-to-draw-perspective/


Next, using what you have learned about depth of field, shoot a portrait. Adjust your distance to the subject and try the same idea with the different f-stops to create "shallow" (f2.8-f5.6)and "great"(f11-f22) depth of field variations. If you have it, a longer focal length lens 85-200 is preferred for portraiture. If you have a zoom lens, stretch out the focal length as far as it will go. If you only have a fixed lens, just use that.


Please don’t forget to label your images and hand in a typed paragraph about why you took the pictures and what you learned or what problems you had or solved. Also, think about what you are shooting! Being an Art class, you can choose any subject you like, so I want you to choose subjects that reflect something important to or about you. Let's see some creativity.

The portraits below were shot at f16 and f4 respectively. Notice at f16 the leaves of the plants are still defined. The f4 version has less definition in the background, but still gives a sense of place.