Week 12: Shallow Depth Of Field
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Week 12: Shallow Depth Of Field
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Week 12: Shallow Depth Of Field!
Extra Challenge: Focus Across The Frame
Just the Facts: You have 7 days to take a photo with a shallow depth of field, usually using the widest aperture you can, though you might find getting close to your subject and/or using a zoom lens will also give this shallow DoF.
Let's brush up on some technical fundamentals, shall we? What is a Shallow Depth of Field? Well, you know those "professional" photos where the subject is in sharp focus and the background is all beautifully blurred? This is a photo with a shallow depth of field - the plane of focus is very thin, and everything behind it (and in front of it) is fuzzy, or soft. This fuzziness is often referred to as "bokeh", and the type of bokeh will change with lenses, aperture settings, and a few other things.
Camera settings: Throw that dial to Manual mode or Aperture Priority mode (often referred to as Av or A on your camera dial). Set your Aperture a low value (like f/1.4 or f/2.8.) If in Manual, adjust your other settings accordingly until the exposure looks right.
Mobile users - for shallow depth of field, shoot at night, low light, or in macro mode. I find portrait mode often gives you a fake bokeh background, which is NOT what we want. You may be better off using a macro mode, usually a flower icon, if your phone offers this setting. Or, of course, switch to a "PRO" setting and adjust the aperture manually.
WATCH: Off the Rails ep. 30 - "The THREE things that give you Depth of Field!" (for patrons)
WATCH: Off the Rails ep. 122 - "What is Aperture?" (for patrons)
A shallow depth of field will eliminate clutter in your frame and help to focus the viewer on your subject and your subject alone. Think of portraits, food photography, product shots, wildlife and of course macro photography. All of these genres work very nicely with this week's theme, but don't let anyone force your creative vision!
Do keep in mind that lower aperture also lets more light in, so you may have more success with this in darker conditions.
Don’t forget to “pin” any BTS (behind the scenes) photos you may have as a comment under your photo, as it’s a huge help for others to learn!
Posting to Socials? Our hashtag of the week is #52frames_shallowdepthoffield
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TIPS:
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Use a Wide Aperture: Set your f-stop low (e.g., f/1.8 or lower) for maximum blur.
- Get Closer: The closer you are to your subject, the shallower the depth of field.
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Increase Background Distance: Keep the background far from your subject to enhance blur.
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Use a Longer Focal Length: Telephoto lenses (e.g., 85mm, 135mm) amplify background blur even with a slightly larger narrower aperture like f/4 compared to shorter focal length lenses.
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Focus Precisely: Ensure the focus is sharp on your subject’s key detail, like the eyes.
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Mind the Bokeh: Smooth, circular bokeh enhances the artistic feel of your image.
- Experiment with Foreground Blur: Place objects close to the lens for dreamy foreground blur.
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Shoot in Low Light: Wide apertures help in dim settings while adding cinematic blur.
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Avoid Busy Backgrounds: Simple, non-distracting backgrounds make the subject stand out.
TUTS:
- A practical guide to shallow depth of field.
- 25 breathtaking shallow depth of field examples.
- Get creative with custom bokeh shapes.
- Focus Stacking: achieve pin sharp macro shots of delicate subjects.
- 📱 How to shoot shallow dof with a smartphone: a video guide and how to obtain great macro shots on your phone 📱
- 📱 Shooting with a mobile phone? Check out our "Phone Photographers" Facebook Group.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out our previous albums Wide Aperture (2024), and Depth Of Field (2019). And as always, The Googles! Oh you sweet Googles.
Extra Challenge: Focus Across The Frame
Think the Main Challenge alone ain't worthy enough of your photog skillz? Sweet - try adding the EXTRA challenge along with the Main Challenge to showcase your abilities.
This week, we'd like to see a Shallow Depth Of Field with Focus Across The Frame included. Think of creative focusing like Tilt Shift Photography or Macro photography. Your plane of focus should not land on one subject, or one spot, but rather the focus should be go across (probably horizontally) all the way across your frame.
Do remember, the EC is neither mandatory nor does it enhance your odds of being picked for any 52F honors. It's just an EXTRA challenge for you, if that's something you want to take on in addition to the Main Challenge. We intentionally design the Extra Challenge to be difficult for most, so only take this on if you are looking for an EXTRA challenge. Get it? It's extra. 💖
Photo Credit: Sharyn Walker - Week 21: Details (2024)
Remember, you are only submitting ONE photo per week. It is not necessary (and sometimes not possible) to work in this Extra Challenge into your submission. It’s extra challenge!
Upcoming Challenges
Remember, you can only submit photos taken during the week of the challenge!
Week 12: Shallow Depth Of Field
Extra Challenge: Focus Across The FrameWeek 12: Shallow Depth Of Field
Week 12: Shallow Depth Of Field