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Have you ever looked at a photograph and decided it is
not "good" because something is not in focus. Frequently the photograph
is better if all is not in focus.
Consider the photograph of the cross I took in my friend's backyard.
Behind it was a fence that would have added nothing interesting to the
photograph. I chose to blur the background so that it would not detract
from the beauty of the cross and its design.
 In the
photograph of the snapdragons, there was a concrete drive on the
backside that certainly would not have added anything of beauty.
Therefore I blurred the concrete and some of the snapdragons in the
background, emphasizing the forward snapdragons.
Look at the photograph of the goldfinch. Notice the brick red at the
bottom of the photograph. That is the roof of my neighbor's house. Don't
you think it looks better blurred? The bright greenish yellow streak is
another limb of the tree, but as a blur, I think it accents the yellow
of the bird.
 How do you
achieve this selected sharp focus look in your photographs? There are
several things to consider. First, consider the opening of the lens (f
stop). Use an f stop of 5.6 or wider. Wider is better. Some lens will
not open wider than 5.6, but do state that they have a macro setting. If
so, use the macro setting.
Secondly, you must consider the distance you are from your subject. The
closer you are to the subject the more blurred the background becomes.
This is because the depth of field is narrower up close. Many people
shut down when depth of field is mentioned. Do not let it confuse you.
It is simply the amount of the subject that will be in sharp focus.
Experiment by looking through your lens and moving around. See how much
of the subject is in focus and how much is blurred. The farther your
subject is from the background the more blended the background becomes.
A shallow depth of field allows you to turn a distraction in the
background into a beautiful soft blend of colors that are much more
attractive than a roof, fence, or other plants, people, or buildings. It
also helps to accent your subject by defining and isolating it. I feel
it creates a much better impact than a sharp background.
Try to avoid items sticking into the edges of you image or sitting in
front of you subject. These will simply detract from your subject.
Remember that rule of thirds: putting the object of interest at the
cross hairs of a tic-tac-toe drawing. Also be sure to check your focus
of your subject by enlarging the image on your LCD screen. The area of
sharp focus must be very sharp at 100% magnification.
Try these things and see how you like your newly created works of art.
Happy shooting!
If you want to see many great photographs and learn tips on improving
your photography, you are invited to visit the Louisiana Photographic
Society meeting on August 19, 2010 at the Independence Park Garden
Center, 7500 Independence Blvd. The program begins at 7:00 P.M. For more
information see our website:
www.laphotosociety.com |
