Summary:

For the final exercise in this project I;

– Noted the restrictions caused due to the space available to me in my chosen location and how the camera settings were changed to deal with this minor issue.
– Documented the variety of camera settings used and how I took the images, for example, resting the camera on my knees to reduce camera shake and maintain the framing,
– Analysed the visual differences between each shot, how the different focal ranges helped enhance certain details that couldn’t be seen in the other.
– As well as exploring the lack of focus caused by using a small aperture and focusing on a midpoint, making the composition quite messy.
– Acknowledged the importance of a focal point and aperture, depending on the kind of image you’re trying to achieve.

Brief :

‘Find a subject in front of a background with depth. Take a very close viewpoint and zoom in;
you’ll need to be aware of the minimum focusing distance of your lens. Focus on the subject
and take a single shot. Then, without changing the focal length or framing, set your focus to
infinity and take a second shot.

As you review the two shots, how does the point of focus structure the composition? With
a shallow depth of field the point of focus naturally draws the eye, which goes first of all to
the part of the image that’s sharp.

Again without moving the camera, select a very small aperture (perhaps one stop above
the minimum to avoid diffraction) and find a point of focus that will give you acceptable
sharpness throughout the entire field, from foreground to infinity. Take a third shot and add
it to the first two to make a set.’ (Bloomfield, 2018)

Due to the lack of space between the subject and I, the longest the focal length could be with the SONY 18-55 3.5-5.6 SAM lens was 26mm keeping in mind the minimum focal distance and being able to frame the fence appropriately. The aperture on my Sony A57 was set to it’s widest at f/5.6 to provide a clear difference between the foreground and background. To assure the framing was consistent, the camera was balanced on my knees as there was no space for a chunky tripod.

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Focusing on the subject means that the eyes are drawn towards the outer edges of the frame as the trellis fence fills the space (see Fig. 1). We are also able to see the grain of the wood, the moss and twigs that cover and intertwine the fence, which cannot be seen when the focus is set to infinity. The fence also frames the blurred background and creates a balanced composition by cutting the scene into individual sections. Infinity mode draws the eyes into the image and through the frame, rather than around it. This provides more depth due to the layering of objects and buildings behind one another. More detail can be seen in Infinity (see Fig. 2), making it interesting for the eye as the individual sections provide more context, texture and colour than the first image. Despite the busy background, the composition remains balanced due to the blurred foreground dividing the frame.

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For the final image (see Fig. 3), I set the aperture to f/25 and made sure that as much of the image was in focus as possible. This took a couple of attempts as the camera was set to manual focus, meaning it is very easy to be slightly out of focus when adjusting it by hand.

Comparing this image to the previous two, I can see quite clearly how important aperture, viewpoint and focal length can be when composing a shot. This is an extremely busy image, too much is going on for the eyes to take in and feels messy as a whole. The balance between foreground and background achieved in the first set is much more comfortable for the eye than this shot as everything just blends, so the depth is lost.

References:

Bloomfield, R., 2018. Photography 1: Expressing your Vision. 4th ed. [pdf] Barnsley: OCA, p. 46. Available at: https://www.oca-student.com/course/photography-1-expressing-your-vision [Accessed 6 February 2020].

List of images:

Figure. 1. Powell, L. (2020) Focus on subject [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 2. Powell, L. (2020) Infinity [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 3. Powell, L. (2020) Midpoint focus [image] In possession of Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.