Assignment 2- DOF

[Dodie]

Ok Doc Assignment 2

I see the difference between the portrait and landscaping but confused as to why. I kept the camera at same level and distance yet 2 different results hmmmm. Used my P&S Kodak using the two settings you said to. Hope I did this assignment correctly photos taken today February 14, 2009

[Doc]

I went back and read the assignment.  No wonder you're confused.  I reworded it some. 

For the DOF assignment you need to have something in the foreground 2-4 feet away, and then the background quite a distance away (I'd say 100 feet or more).  My bad- you did the assignment exactly as I said to, but doing it that way won't give you the results you'd expect.

Your first two pictures look different because of the exposure.  In the first one, the cat is centered and that scene is what the meter metered on.  In the second, the lighter carpet is in the center and takes up most of the picture.  Different scene, lighting, and therefore exposure.  The reason you don't see that much difference in the focus (none actually) is because the cat and the background are too close together (they're "in the same focus plane").  The same with the other two.

The other thing you have to remember is that we're "tricking" your P&S to use a more wide-open or more closed-down aperture by using the different modes.  It may not use the most wide or closed aperture.

Try this again with a different scene, make sure the view is exactly the same between the two pictues in the viewfinder, and try this one again.  Hopefully you'll be able to see a difference with your camera (crossing fingers for you).

[Dodie]

Ok Doc will do, I also finished lesson one. Thanks

[Celestya]

Here goes for assignment 2 


f 8.0  (lowest my camera will go)



f 2.8 (highest it will go)



Not the best subject I could use, but it was what I could find on this cold morning :-)

[Doc]

You get some K for this one.  You did good!  As I mentioned in the assignment, combos of things will make the background even fuzzier, but this is a great example of how just changing the aperture can make a difference in the DOF.  Nice Job!

[LiseG]

Here's Assignment #2 - DOF

Since I don't have a 50mm lens, I used my Nikkor 18-200 and set it at 50mm and set the camera on aperture mode.  The first photo was taken at 4.8 (1/1250) and the second one at 32.0 (1/50)

#1 - Car in driveway at 4.8 (1.1250), result: car in focus with blurry background



#2 - Car in driveway - 32.0 (1/50), result: car and background in focus



I did the same thing for the next two photos, photographing the lampost this time. 

#3 - Lampost - 4.8 (1/2000), result: lampost in focus with blurry background



#4 - Lampost - 32.0 (1/60), result: lampost and background in focus

[Doc]

Excellent!  Perfect!  Good Job!  (What else can I say?)  Some K for you.

(But hold the camera level next time in the first two... )

[LiseG]

Excellent!  Perfect!  Good Job!  (What else can I say?)  Some K for you.

(But hold the camera level next time in the first two... )

Thank you Doc.  This one wasn't too difficult.

I fixed the level of the first two by the way.  Sorry for my sloppiness.  I'll try to remember to keep the camera level at all times.     

[nusaja]

Forgot all about this one , here comes ...

#1

F4.5




#2 F29

[Doc]

There ya go!  K for you.  However, I think you got them labeled backwards.  The f29 (small aperture) should give you a deep DOF compared to F4.5 (large aperture).  Nice job.

[nusaja]

oops , yup wrong label ...

[doggedpursuit]

I had to back up further than 4 feet to get the subject in the frame.  I was around 6 feet away.  The monkey bush is 80 feet behind the subject and the trees are 100 feet.  I was slightly closer on the second one because one of the dogs scratched in the dirt and erased my mark.  This is an 85 mm lens as that is the only one I have so far.

f1.8


f22

[Doc]

Wow, that is one heck of an example!  Excellent job.  K for you!

[doggedpursuit]

Oh goody, let's see what's next.

[rhenz]

This one Doc?

F/4.5


F/22

[Doc]

Perfect!  Now we're talking!  Good Job.  K for you!

[rhenz]

THANK YOU!

[kriger]

Hey Doc.
So I have been trying out this assignment. I can get it to work but I need to stand less than a foot away from my front subject in order for it to work. I feel as though I may be doing something wrong.
If I was taking a portrait of someone and wanted a shallow DOF i'm sure they would not want me all up in their face.
Do you have any suggestions for me
Thanks

[Doc]

A lot of the variance of the DOF will depend on the focal length used.  Celestya's and rhenz's above used a 20 and 22mm (probably zoomed back) to get their pictures.

For portrait work you want to normally use at least a 90mm (or more) telephoto.  Telephotos usually have a narrow DOF, so back off, focus on the person's face, then try wide open/close apertures and see what you get.  Also important- you need to have the background WAY back in the picture.  This isn't going to work if they're standing in front of a wall (no way you'll blur that wall).

[kriger]

I am having major issues with this one for some reason. I think I get it but I can't make it work on the camera for some reason.

Is this it?





or this???

[Doc]

Major issues?  Think you get it?  Can't make it work?  You're kidding me, right?  These are great!  You got it!  Have a K!

Look at this:


The whole idea was to show you how focal length can effect the DOF.  In your case, the cattails are in focus, but look at the backgrounds.  Perfect examples of deep and shallow DOF (yes, you "made it work").  So is the second series.  Whether you know it or not you learned a valuable lesson doing this assignment- now you know how you can control the DOF and how fuzzy or sharp the background is.

Nice Job!

[kriger]

Well yeah.!!!
The problem I am having with this is.... I just ca not seem to get it to work on a regular basis. I think practice will make perfect though. Thank you Doc.

[Doc]

Now remember something- the example you picked was very good.  The subject that you were focusing on was fairly close, the background far away.  You can really see the effect in this situation.  However, if the subject was a bit farther away and the background closer you wouldn't see this much difference, so it depends. 

DOF depends on three things:
Focal length.
Aperture.
Focus point (near or far).

In this case we're changing just the aperture.  Combinations of 2 of those things, or all 3, will give us the shallowest, or deepest, DOF.

[aemon_2010]

And here is for assignment #2.

[Doc]

This is a nice one and I think it's a good example, but you only did 1/2 the assignment.  We need 2 pictures of the same scene, but with different aperture settings.  I think you got it the idea but you need to check out the assignment requirements again, ok?

[aemon_2010]

ok Doc i will!

[aemon_2010]

Hi Doc, i have new photos for DOF assign..
1)f/5.6

2)f/16

i am learning new things with this camera..thanks a lot

[Doc]

There ya go, great examples!  Have a K!

[Doc]

Have a K!  These aren't definitive examples, but you got the right idea.  It would've been better if you did these at say f2.8 and then f22, and got just a bit closer to the Caution sign and then focused on it.

Nice job and a good try.

[Dikaiosune]

Hey Doc and faithful readers.

For this assignment i used a 50mm 1.8 lens.
I found that moving a little closer to the subject, I think I was about 20-30 cm (which is about 1 foot I think) makes the depth of field more shallow.
The further I stand the larger the DOF becomes.

So I can use that, and I can use my f stop to manipulate my depth of field.  I kind of stumbled onto that little trick when I tried to use one of those +4 macro lens that you can just screw on the filter.  It let me get real close to some subjects. 

so here they are.
(they are from the same series I used for my updated diagonal assignment.  I hope that is okay.)

F/ 1.8 - notice the blade


f/22


other compositional considerations to make this picture a little more dynamic...  (from the f/1.8 shot.  I think I like that one more)
- darken the legs,
- put the out of focus blade in one of the power points (refering to the rule of thirds?)
- brighten the eyes?


Thanks

[Doc]

Well, I'm gonna give you a K for this one as it does show a deep and shallow DOF, but the assignment was to have all the subject in focus and to have the background (which is further away) in and out of focus.  I think you have the concept of the difference in DOF as it applies to aperture, but next time you're out it would be interesting to see if you could reshoot the assignment.
PS: nice shots of a neat looking model, but I wouldn't darken the legs any.

[Dikaiosune]

my resubmition

Out of focus


In focus

[Doc]

I'm glad you decided to resubmit this, nice examples!  Way to go!

[menacejean]

It took a while, but I finally got assignment 2 done.  I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong, but both of these pictures look the same to me, except for the exposure.  I had to actually change the exposure time for each f stop because the pictures were coming out either under over over exposed if I left it the same for both f-stop.  Anyways...here are my entries.

f/5.6 1/80s


f/11 1/25s

[Doc]

Nice try, and you got the idea, but I would do these again- one with the lens wide open and one with it closed down all the way.  There's not enough difference between the f-stops to make see the difference (and yes, the shutter speed will have to vary quite a bit too).  Focus on the near tombstone each time.