🟦Doing Something New: Learning Depth of Field in Photography

INTRODUCTION 

This assignment is designed to help you understand how to fully control DEPTH OF FIELD (DOF). 

Through a series of basic photographs, you are going to change the aperture, distance from your subject, and focal length. All three of these factors influence DOF, so you should become familiar with how they affect the look and feel of your photograph. 

Although this assignment tends towards the technical, I would like you to think about shooting aesthetically pleasing photographs. 

  

ASSIGNMENT 

For all photographs, Select a subject (something small like a teddy bear or garden gnome works well) And place your subject 3 to 6 meters away from the background. Make a note of your settings as you shoot. 

  

PART ONE 

Set your zoom lens to approximately the 80mm mark (or the mid-point in your zoom range if you only have one lens) And fill two thirds (⅔) of your frame with your subject (you still want to see some of the background, to view the effects of DOF). 

1 - Shoot one photograph at your MAXIMUM Aperture (~f2.8 - f5.6 for most average lenses) 

F5.5 and 32mm

2 - Shoot a second at a mid-Aperture (~f11) 

F11 and 32mm

3 - Shoot a third at your MINIMUM Aperture (~f22 - f32 for most average lenses) 

F22 and 32mm

  

PART TWO 

Still using the 80mm mark on your zoom lens (or the mid-point in your zoom range if you only have one lens) Set your aperture to f8 (f4.5 for bridge camera’s) and shoot the following. 

1 - Move in close and roughly fill the frame with your subject (insuring you can still see some background) 

F8 and 32mm fill the frame

2 - Then move back, until your subject fills approximately half (½) of the frame 

F8 and 32mm (2) 1/2 frame

3 - Then move back, until your subject fills approximately an eighth (⅛) of the frame 

F8 and 32mm 1/8th frame

  

PART THREE 

Frame your subject so they occupy about two thirds (⅔) of the frame. Set your aperture to f8, then with the following (or similar) focal lengths, shoot your subject. With each change in focal length, re-compose your subject, so they continue to occupy two thirds (⅔) of the frame. 

1 - 18mm - 28mm (your shortest focal length) 

F8 and 12 mm

2 - 80mm (or mid-range in your available focal lengths) 

F8 and 32 mm

3 - 150mm - 300mm (your longest focal length) 

  

F8 and 50mm

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

Use Aperture Priority Exposure mode 

Use an ISO of 400 or greater, Auto ISO is ok for this assignment 

This assignment is best printed, as you will get a good appreciation for the changes made in your settings. 

Print your photographs to a minimum size of 4x6 inches, (10x15cm) 

Present either in a work book, folder or as loose prints