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Depth of Field in Digital Photography
Getting into the Scene
We touched on this subject in a previous article. In photography, you consider composition, focal point, foreground, background, slants, frames, thirds, lines, perspective, scale, and so forth. The focal point is the objective of the game in a way, yet composition is the target. I used the terms plot in previous publications because those less familiar with digital imaging might find it easier to relate.
Anyway, all there terms sounds nuts if you don’t understand photography; however, the focal point is a natural attraction to the eye, while composition is the plot. Let’s break this down. Okay, you are writing a book on the subject photography. You know the main composition is about photography; however, you must grasp cameras, film, printers, etc to make someone understand what you are saying and how it works. Likewise, if you are taking pictures you will need a main attraction, which will lead the eyes to a foreground, background, focal point, and so forth. In other words you need something to hit home in this picture. Yet, while the eye is hitting home, it also wants a feel of the surroundings so that it can see where the picture is leading. What does it mean? What did you see in this picture that I am missing?
For example, I am taking a shot of a barn off in the distance and in its surrounding, is a field of yellow flowers of some sort and green grass beneath it. The foreground (flowers) leads me up to the caption that I had targeted, which makes a person wonder why someone would want a picture like this. The imagination starts to explore. In this picture, I used the rule of the thirds while adding a foreground to the scene.
In the depth of field, I snap a shot of a clear blue sky with sorted clouds dancing in the air. A distant hill frames the sky bringing it down to the earth’s surface, which we know is not real. The foreground leads you to a boulder half buried in the ground with more boulders spread out in a filed of yellow with shades of green grass. In this scene, I would use a lens set for long distance focus, and a small aperture for increased depth of field to achieve the desired effect.
If you are photographing landscapes, a wide-angle lens is best since it will provide more depth of field than deeper than longer focal lengths. Smaller F stops add even more to depth of field which is good if you are snapping pictures at a distance.
It makes a big difference how you use a camera as to how the photo will turn out. If you are starting out in photography, your best bet is to become acquainted with the terms photographers use, including their definitions. While there are software programs for editing available, if you get the feel of the camera and use it wisely, you will spend less time in front of a computer and more time in the field taking more shots.
After writing around 50 articles I’ve learned a lot about photography. However, the one thing I already knew is that your eyes and instincts will guide you better than anyone or any device. If you are working toward professional never, let anyone defy you of your natural instincts and eye, which will only guide you in a wrong direction. Keep it real and go with what you feel!
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