June challenge...P

"A great photo is about depth of feeling, not depth of field." -Peter Adams

Photo by StephanieDeFranco (using iPhone)

Even though the quote I used stated that depth of field (DOF) doesn't make as great a photo as feeling, our challenge for June is all about depth of field.  The challenge is technical rather than creative.  Very simply, DOF is defined by the area of a photo that is in focus.  It is the amount of a scene that is in focus... in front of, and behind your point of focus.  DOF is made up of three parts:

• Aperture (the f-stop you're using)
• Camera to subject distance
• Focal length

There are two ways to describe DOF: shallow or deep

Aperture not only controls the amount of light coming in, it determines depth of field.

• the wider your aperture (a smaller f-stop), the smaller the DOF.
• the more narrow your aperture (a larger f-stop), the deeper or larger your DOF

Camera to subject distance: 

• the closer your camera is to the subject, the smaller/shallower the DOF
• the further away your camera is to the subject, the larger/deeper the DOF

In the picture on the left I was lying on the pool deck right at the edge.  The subject was about 2 feet away from me.  In the picture on the right, I was about 15 feet away from the subject.  

Focal length:

• the longer the focal length of your lens, the smaller/shallower your DOF
• the shorter the focal length  of your lens, the larger/deeper your DOF

The challenge for June is to take two photos.  One showing a shallow depth of field, and one with a deeper depth of field.  In the example below, I chose to use aperture to demonstrate DOF.  The flowers on the left have an aperture of f/1.8.  You will notice that not all the flowers are in focus.  The flowers in the back, as well as the background are blurred,  hence a shallow depth of field.  The flowers on the right have an aperture of f/6.3.  The flowers as well as the background is in focus, hence a deep depth of field.  Please pick one of the three ways to show depth of field: aperture, camera to subject distance, or focal length. 

Rules:

• No Archival photos.  All photos MUST be taken between the May and June meetings

• No more than 2 pictures may be submitted

• Any form of media is acceptable: print, CD, thumb drive

• If asked, be able to explain about data (Aperture, Shutter speed, ISO, focal point)

• Explain any special information about the photo...how it was taken, and the post processing.

Go out, and try your hand at DOF.