Technique Page - Depth of Field

Definition: depth of field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image.
How do you do it?
Part of my transition work from AS to A2 saw me experimenting with a technique called depth of field. The technique can be split into two different styles: minimum depth of field and maximum depth of field. Here's how they can both be done:

Minimum depth of field -  this is when the foreground is sharp and in-focus, but the background is completely blurry.

Three things can be changed to create this effect:

• Get close to the subject
• Make the aperture bigger (a small number)
• Use a larger zoom (300mm on the college cameras)

Maximum depth of field - this is when the entire picture is completely sharp and in-focus.

Three things can be changed to create this effect:

• Get far away from the subject
• Make the aperture smaller (a big number)
• Use a smaller zoom (28mm on the college cameras)

What does it look like?

Minimum Depth of Field

Maximum Depth of Field

Technique Page - Animation

Definition: A simulation of movement created by displaying a series of pictures, or frames.
How do you do it?
Part of my transition work from AS to A2 saw me experimenting with a technique called animation. The technique involves placing together some images and making them 'move'. Either a sequence of images can be used *see previous blog post* or the same image can be repeated with different adjustments on each layer. Here's how it was done:

STEP1 (After formatting the camera): Photograph your subject for the animation. Either photograph a sequence (previous blog post) or photograph one image which you will repeat within the animation.
STEP2: Download the photos to your computer and open Photoshop.
STEP5: Open the (first) image in Photoshop and apply any adjustments like any other normal photo. It's a good idea to make note of the exact numbers/options you use so you can apply the same thing to all the photos in the sequence to keep the quality consistent.
STEP6: Go to Window > Animation/Timeline to begin making the animation!
STEP7: Add a New Frame and layer either the next image or the same image over the first one. Make sure you open the image separately first to make the adjustments beforehand.If using the same images, change the adjustments so you can see a real contrast between the different layers, i.e. one layer b+w the other in colour.
STEP8: Repeat STEP7 to insert each of the other images into the animation.
STEP9: Toggle each layer so that only the image that you want in each frame is visible in the layers palette.
STEP10: Adjust animation-specific settings such as the timing and length of the animation. If making an animation with the same image throughout, using the TWEEN option will make the transition from one layer to the other smoother as the layers dissolve into each other. SAVE as a GIF!

What does it look like?

Technique Page - Sequencing

Definition: Sequence - A following of one thing after another; succession.
How do you do it?
Part of my transition work from AS to A2 saw me experimenting with a technique called sequencing. The technique is very similar to an animation, as it may be represented in the form of a GIF. Here's how it was done:

STEP1 (After formatting the camera): Standing still, take the first photograph of the subject - this could be a person who is about to walk away, a full flower etc.
STEP 2: Without moving the camera's distance from the subject or the zoom, change what the subject is doing to start the 'sequence' - again this might be getting someone to take a step forward from their original position or removing a petal from a flower - and take the picture.
STEP3: Repeat STEP2 a few times, each time changing what the subject is doing slightly to increase the sequence i.e. removing more flower petals or asking the person to walk further away. The best sequence will include 4 or more images - the more images, the more detail!
STEP4: Download the images onto the computer and open Photoshop.

*ALTERNATIVELY* - Instead of moving the subject, it may be interesting to experiment by moving the photographer/camera or the zoom on the camera, but not a combination of the techniques as the sequence will not flow very effectively.

STEP5: Open a new blank page in Photoshop.
STEP6: Open each of the images for your sequence and make adjustments like levels, curves etc. Make note of the specific numbers/options used so that you can apply the same to each image to make the sequence consistent.
STEP7: Divide the width of your blank page by the number of images you have and re-size each image so the width is roughly the same as the result you get. *this may need to be adjusted later*
STEP8: Under Preferences or View, apply a grid to your page to make the layout consistent.
STEP9: Starting with the first image of the sequence, place it to the far left of the blank page.
STEP10: Move to the next image, and leaving a small gap, place it next to the first image.
STEP 11: Repeat step STEP10 until all of the images fit on the blank page, following the sequence from left to right.
STEP12: Flatten the image, crop around the sequence, print and save!

What does it look like?