Part 2 EYV – Pete's OCA Learning Log

Ex 2.7 EYV

Pete — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 08:41:54 +0000

“Use a combination of small apertures and wide lens to take a number of photographs exploring deep depth of field. Because of the small apertures you’ll be working with slow shutter speeds and may need to use a tripod or rest the camera on a stable surface to prevent ‘camera shake’ at low ISOs. Add one or two unedited sequences, together with relevant shooting data and an indication of your selects, to your learning log.”

I have used this line of trees to try to illustrate the differences in the depth of field – not the most exciting of scenes.

These shots are that on a 24mm lens on full frame, and it is hard in images this size to see the differences, but as the apertures get smaller at full size you can see a little more details as you draw further into the scene

Ex 2.6 EYV

Pete — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 10:56:51 +0000

“Use a combination of wide apertures, long focal lengths and close viewpoints to take a number of photographs with shallow depth of field. (Remember that smaller f numbers mean wider apertures.) Try to compose the out-of-focus parts of the picture together with the main subject. Add one or two unedited sequences, together with relevant shooting data and an indication of your selects, to your learning log.”

I have been a little over the top here and used a 400mm lens and various apertures from wide open at F5.6 to show the shallow Depth of Field giving by longer lenses.

At f5.6, you can see the razor this depth of field and the increases in depth up to f16 after F16 the changes are not as visible.

Ex 2.5 EYV

Pete — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 05:54:08 +0000

Find a subject in front of a background with depth. Take a close viewpoint and zoom in; you’ll need to be aware of the minimum focusing distance of your lens. Focus on the subject and take a single shot. Then, without changing the focal length, set the focus to infinity and take a second shot.”

In the images above I have focused initially on the Lego figure and the without changing viewpoint switched to focus at infinity.

In the first image the eye is drawn to the Lego then follows the leading line of the railing to a tree and he Background, but comes quickly back as these are out of focus.

In the second image, the eye initially is drawn, to the Lego, it immediately bounces to the tree and background to explore the details there when the are drawn back to the lego the cycle starts again.

Ex 2.4 EYV

Pete — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 05:31:53 +0000

“Find a location with good light for a portrait shot. Place your subject some distance in front of a simple background and select a wide aperture together with a moderately long focal length such as 100mm on a 35mm full-frame camera (about 65mm on a cropped-frame camera). Take a viewpoint about one and a half metres from your subject, allowing you to compose a headshot comfortably within the frame. Focus on the eyes and take the shot.”

I have used an archive shot for this; as,this something that I practise a lot with my portraits (plus I was struggling finding a willing volunteer).

100mm at f2.8 on full frame

The shallow depth of field has lifted the subject from the background.

Ex 2.3 EYV

Pete — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 05:26:14 +0000

“Choose a subject in front of a background with depth. Select your shortest focal length and take a close low viewpoint, below your subject. Find a natural point of focus and take the shot.”

11mm (on crop sensor)

Here the distortion of the wide angle lenses is very obvious. With the curvature of he trees, posts in the background. the exaggeration of the subjects features etc.

For portraiture this not normally complementary as shown her but it can have it uses.

Ex 2.2 EYV

Pete — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 05:07:21 +0000

“Select your longest focal length and compose a portrait shot fairly tightly within the frame in front of a background with depth. Take one photograph. Then walk towards your subject while zooming out to your shortest focal length. Take care to frame the subject in precisely the same way in the viewfinder and take a second shot.”

18mm (on crop sensor)

55mm (on crop sensor)

The 2 shot are to all intents and purposes are identical except the focal length used.

The the shot a 18mm you can see the distortion caused by the lens exaggerating the the nose for example, plus you can see more of the background it has more depth.

The shot a 55mm the proportions are much more realistic and normalise, and the background is more compressed – much more complementary to a portrait

Ex 2.1 EYV

Pete — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 04:31:01 +0000

Exercise 2.1

“Find a scene that has depth. From a fixed position, take a sequence of five or six shots at different focal lengths without changing your viewpoint. (You might like to use the specific focal lengths indicated on the lens barrel.)”

The following shots were taken to illustrate how changing focal length of a lenses changes the angle of view from a fixed position

All the Focal Lengths quoted are on a full frame body.

24mm

28mm

34mm

48mm

This shot is closest to the view scene as viewed by the human eye

70mm

The above exercise returned the results that I expected; there is no real change in how this look in the imag. As is suggested to create a vastly different look when changing focal length you would need to combine with a change of view point