Weekly Assignment: Depth of Field and Selective Focus

[PWS-Staff]

This assignment is about learning to make a photograph with a narrow depth of field. For this assignment, try to get a beautiful photo with selective focus, meaning your subject should be sharp and all else falls out of focus. Photograph a child or children setting your camera on either Portrait mode, if you have it, or Aperture Priority. If you use Aperture Priority, select an aperture (f-stop) that is a small number, such as f/4.0 or lower. If you focus on your subject, that f-stop ensures a narrower depth of field. You will see the difference in a portrait taken with these settings compared with auto focus, where everything tends to be sharp.

These charming sisters shown here in their morning garb on the window seat were photographed with a narrow depth of field to blur out the potentially distracting details in the window, as well as create a more painterly look. Taken at ISO 500, f/2.8, 1/60 second.

From "Photographing Children, 2nd Edition," by Ginny Felch

Attached Photo ©Natalija Brunner

[steffan58]

The Hawk pops off the page but the bokeh is not as pretty as I'd like.

[kirsti]

Too abstract?

[Brandy Whyne]

I am new to photo workshop 


http://www.flickr.com/photos/smokineh/6156476689/in/photostream

[webetilinstudios]

I am a new member of this forum.  I would appreciate any comments that will help me improve my photography.  I used a close up ring which limits the depth of field.