Minimum Depth of Field Work Diary

We were set with the task of capturing minimum depth of field in our environment. The method to achieve the end result was easy enough to understand, the only problem being the amount of time that we spent shooting. I was only able to obtain a few images so I took it upon myself to shoot again from home in order to have more of a variety within my images. I utilised this opportunity to photograph something other than humans. Instead, I opted to use plant life as another example of how I could efficiently use the method for different purposes. Though the two shoots I was also able to incorporate more formal elements in my shoots than I would have previously been able to.

This image shows how you can use minimum depth of field in order to make a person stand out from the rest of the image. Without minimum depth of field, the person could merge with the background, making it less interesting image as a result. The effect causes the person to stand out in a way that gently fades the background, giving the image softer tones as a result. As a result the audience is immediately drawn to the face of the person without having to sacrifice an interesting background.

This image shows how minimum depth of field can be used on a smaller scale with plant life. The minimum depth of field is used to enhance other formal elements within the image in order to create a more striking image. The focus is placed on the bright colour of the plant to the left of the frame, the way that the colour is brought out from the dull background creates more of a contrast within the image. This combines in a way that allows me to control where I want to direct the audiences attention.

Progression:

If I were to do this shoot again I would have done a longer shoot and looked for different objects to photograph in different locations. I could include graffiti backgrounds and blur them in order to create a colourful background for the people to stand out against. I could photograph common items that I want to exaggerate in different ways in my images also, or I could photograph objects within the environment associated with them.