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VCA116 Digital Photography

Assignment: Depth of Field

Photographs are created when light enters the lens of the camera and strikes the light-sensitive surface. Once upon a time that surface was film, today it's digital sensors. However, the way we determine the amount of light entering the camera remains the same—we use two reciprocal controls: shutter speed and aperture. Shutter speed determines the length of the exposure—how long we let light into the camera. Aperture determines the size of the opening in the lens—how much light we let into the camera at any one time. Taken together, these give us total control over the exposure.

But the size of the aperture also determines another aspect of our photographs: depth of field. Depth of field is the term we use to describe how far a given image can focus. For example, a picture that has a foreground, middle ground, and background all in focus is considered to have a great depth of field. A photo where only one of those is in focus is said to have a low depth of field. Now that's not necessarily a bad thing; often times photographers will intentionally use a low depth of field to draw attention to one particular spot, blurring less important or distracting areas. At other times, an image with great depth of field is more desirable. Learning how to control depth of field will give you more creative freedom as a photographer.

The basic principle is simple: the smaller the aperture, the greater the depth of field. Thus an aperture of f/22 will likely create a deep, clear image going back nearly to infinity, while an aperture setting of f/1.2 will blur just about everything in front of and behind the object in focus.

Assignment

Produce a group of five or more photographs that demonstrate low depth of field. The images should contain a foreground and/or background that are out of focus, while the main subject (in the middle ground) should be sharp and clear.

Specifications

• Size: largest allowed with a medium jpeg quality
• Resolution/format: medium quality jpeg
• Deliverables: five digital images
• Due: next week.

Procedure

1. Canon: Turn the settings knob to "Av." This will give you aperture priority, allowing you to set the aperture. Click the right and left-arrow buttons on the jog wheel to increase or decrease the aperture (f-stop). At the bottom of the screen you should see the f-stop ("f8", "f7.1" or "f6.3," etc.) Set the f-stop to f2.8. The camera will automatically set the the shutter speed to compensate.

Kodak: Turn the settings knob to "A." Rotate the jog wheel located in front of the camera, below the shutter release, until the f-stop number is highlighted (a little arrow should point to it). Press the jog wheel (one or two little blue arrows should appear). Now rotate the jog wheel to change the f-stop. Set it at f3.2. Press the jog wheel again to save the setting.

2. Go out and photograph objects & scenes that demonstrate low depth of field. Look for interesting images that incorporate foreground, middle ground, and background. Remember the rule of thirds. Don't just photograph any old thing; look for images that are interesting, beautiful, unusual, thought-provoking, challenging, etc. Be daring. Be experimental. Be artists!

Hints:

• Use the macro setting (flower button) for close-up shots.
• Use the flash, or place the camera on a steady surface, in low-light (indoor) settings.
• Press the shutter half-way to see the shutter speed the camera has chosen. If it's 30 or slower, you will need to use a flash or brace the camera.
3. Choose your five favorite images to present to the class.

4. Put the five texture images in a folder with your name on it, and turn it in to me via jump drive.
5. Important: save these images, you will need them later in the quarter!

Examples: One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six

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