Focus with fixed aperture (0.2a)

Requirement

3 photographs

Purpose

To show how:

• Sharpness draws attention to the subject of an image
• Out-of-focus surroundings separate subject (in focus) from background

Technical learning

Wide aperture creates a narrow depth of field

Exercise instructions

Find a scene which has depth. Set lens to widest aperture. Shot 1 - Focus on a near part of row. Shot 2 - Focus on the middle of row. Shot 3 - Focus on the end of the row.

Images and review

I bought bottles of 'citrus' 3 Fairy and lined them up for a still life on the kitchen table. I composed tightly to isolate the subject and used a plain beige coloured chair to provide the small amount of visible background.

Front

Middle

Far

Nikon, 50mm, f1.4

Which do I prefer?

• On message, no preference: each has something equally valid to say as the others. One interpretation. The first image focuses on the nearest bottle, the leader who stands at the head of the pack. The second highlights the middle, the leader who embedded in the team. The third emphasises the farthest bottle, the leader who herds the flock.
• On design, no preference as well. The first image is harmonious. It fits the eye's usual expectation that the sharpest part of the image stands in the foreground. The second and third images challenge that expectation, so creating some tension. That tension increases interest, holding the eye on the image for longer. However, the differences in graphical impact between the three are slight.