The brief for this exercise as to use a small aperture and a wide lens to take a number of photographs exploring deep depth of field. Given the need for a small aperture, we were advised that we may need to use a tripod.
We were also advised that to create a successful image with a deep depth of field, foreground detail, in focus, should be used. Otherwise, an image can appear flat and without interest. A close viewpoint and the use of a wide angle lens can give the viewer the feeling that they are almost inside the scene.
Here are some of the unedited photographs that I took:
Here are the six images I liked the most:
I chose a small aperture, between f13 and f16, and focused about half way into my images, to try to ensure focus throughout. I found that I did not need a tripod since my wide angle lens is light and my shutter speed was fast enough to avoid camera shake.
I can see that the first of my selected images seems a little incongruous since, at first glance, it does not seem to be an image of significant depth. I was attracted by the view straight through the house from the front window to the back window and out to the hills beyond and I hoped that my photograph would capture a sense of the distant view of the countryside at the back of the house.
I used a model in two of my images. This is a step forward for me since I have rarely photographed people. I feel that this adds to the foreground interest and gives additional meaning to my images by including an internal gaze in the form of a person looking towards the distance. I feel that in both these examples, the viewer is encouraged to look in the same direction.
My final picture, of the bucks in the field, has a significant foreground, yet a sense of depth is created by the distant hills and the blue motorway sign, which, I feel, also adds meaning to the image, and perhaps a little comedy.
My tutor’s support after the submission of my first assignment led me to the work of John Davies who uses deep depth of field to make images that contrast the beauty of nature with the industrial landscape. His photographs captivate me. The sense of depth and the high viewpoint gives a feeling of great space, providing a view that is rarely seen and that challenges my early preference for cropped and abstract images.
Davies, J. (2017). John Davies Photographer – home page. [online] Johndavies.uk.com. Available at: http://johndavies.uk.com/ )(Accessed 19 Mar. 2017])