Exercise 2.7: Exploring D.O.F

Use a combination of small apertures and wide lens to take a number of photos exploring depth of field.

Unedited images:

 

 

 

Edited selects:

For the depth of field selects, I start with the below image which is of a village in Spain. I chose the view for a hight viewpoint that would allow scope for some distance in order to apply depth of field. However, I wanted to use this type of shot to see if the corners and the whole frame were balanced in terms of clarity of exposure. Also, I was intrigued by the images I have see that have no distinct point of focus. This image follows the pattern of no distinct point of focus but instead, leads the eye to explore the frame. There will be no pattern to this as the eye does not have a lead in terms of point or line. The frame contains detail on all sides and has no space. Although not shot with a wide angle lens, it does invite a sort of stepping into the space to explore feel.

Town scape

Shot at: 85mm    f/18    1/10 sec  Tripod

With the landscape shot below I was less than happy with the outcome. Despite the inevitable difficulties with loss of control of the elements when photographing landscape, also even using hyper-focal distance, still I did not manage a satisfactory degree of sharpness beyond a certain extent into the frame. The day was hazy and the light was changing rapidly in the scene. Shot at f/22 and using some foreground for the initial composition. The method of focusing one third into the frame with distant shots, is something that I am yet to be convinced by. Although hyper-focal distance is said to give more sharpness beyond the point of focus, I wonder if there are not other factors involved in that, such as focal length?

As we were not explicitly asked to use the technique of hyper focal length I am here wondering into other territory. However, when I focused the lens first to infinity to see which points in the frame were still in focus, I could see nothing in focus with a 28mm lens.

Landscape

Shot at: 28mm   f/22    0.3 sec   Tripod

So I am concluding for now that either the hyper-focal distance technique depends upon the focal length and has to be adjusted accordingly or that there was not a long enough shutter speed for the shot. As we were shooting in AV. mode, I was not able to change that.

Editing of the above images:

In terms of the editing of the above two images I have mainly adjusted the colour blending and altered saturation and clarity in Light room. For the landscape I made the colour alterations in photoshop. Other than the colour tones I adjusted slightly the levels on the shadow of the landscape image.

Contrary to what was said in the course manual I found working with shallow depth of field much easier generally.