4x5 and depth of field

[SoulfulRecover]

Going to shoot some test portraits this evening and I was just wondering what the recommended f-stop would be for head a shoulders? Probably in the 22-45 range? I don't mind it being a bit shallow but I want to make sure the tip of the nose and eyes are in focus.

Looking for DoF similar to this: http://static1.squarespace.com/stat...49a/t/569a8b685a5668a59448d494/1452968809126/

 

[The_Traveler]

 

[SoulfulRecover]

Thank you! that's very cool

 

[unpopular]

Don't forget that you have movements, too.

 

[unpopular]

(well. unless you don't have any movements)

 

[The_Traveler]

Thank you! that's very cool

Very cool is my specialty

 

[SoulfulRecover]

Don't forget that you have movements, too.

Not sure ill be using movements although that may have to do with my next question, is that how people have been able to shoot shallow while keeping the face fully in focus like this: January 2016 Portraits - Page 10

 

[480sparky]

In a studio setting, I don't know why you would need movements.

 

[SoulfulRecover]

In a studio setting, I don't know why you would need movements.

creativity? Not sure honestly. 4x5 is still super new to me

 

[480sparky]

In a studio setting, I don't know why you would need movements.

creativity? Not sure honestly. 4x5 is still super new to me

Movements allow you to control two things: Perspective and DOF.

In a studio setting, what perspective would you need to correct in a h&s shot? And I can't see how swing or tilt can do much for DOF that you can't do with proper camera & subject placement.

 

[petrochemist]

IMO if you need f22 to get both in focus there plenty of room for movements.

Earlier today I was looking at some LF portraits, (not H&S though) the camera movements had been used to emphasize parts of the images which worked really well. One that sticks in my mind had the subject sitting at a table & has a foreground hand sharply in focus along with the eyes while the body is distinctly OOF...
I'm sure there are many subjects where the eyes, mouth & nose would work well sharp, while the cheeks/ears are certainly better soft.
The beauty of LF is it allows precise control of such factors, once you develop the skill to use it... (I've yet to start playing with my 5x4, so I've got a long wait before I get any skill.)

 

[unpopular]

Don't forget that you have movements, too.

Not sure ill be using movements although that may have to do with my next question, is that how people have been able to shoot shallow while keeping the face fully in focus like this: January 2016 Portraits - Page 10

Several of these examples do use tilt. While I have total respect Sparky, I completely disagree that there is no use for movements in the studio. Getting the face in focus while the torso blurry is precisely a situation where you would use tilt. Another situation is in a 3/4 view where you want the facing side to be in greater focus than the ascending edge. Here you would use swing. You have a lot of control in the studio, but you cannot control the physical shape and proportions of the subject!

It's been too long since I have used a view camera, so I couldn't really describe how to use movements without being with you in person. My advise to you is to get the camera out, and focus it close to something on a coin, preferably on something like tile or planks, focus on the coin and then adjust front movement to get a feel for how focus is affected. Then from there do the same with rear movements to correct perspective in conjunction with front movements to compensate the focus plane. Keep movements simple.

That's how I learned. Sitting in my dorm room focusing on pennies on a linoleum floor.

 

[SoulfulRecover]

I know movements for the most part. I figured it was a tilt of some sort.

I took a 4x5 class a couple years ago and learned a lot but I was never all that great at it haha. Fixing convergence on a building killed me. I always over compensated some how.

 

[480sparky]

Several of these examples do use tilt. While I have total respect Sparky, I completely disagree that there is no use for movements in the studio. ...........

I never said there's NO use for movements.... just very little need when the subject and camera are positioned properly.

 

[unpopular]

Several of these examples do use tilt. While I have total respect Sparky, I completely disagree that there is no use for movements in the studio. ...........

I never said there's NO use for movements.... just very little need when the subject and camera are positioned properly.

It just really depends on what you're after. Some styles will absolutely rely on movements.

I don't think I have it scanned, but I have a photo of a child's rocking chair that I wanted to look really big but I didn't want the sort of distortion that a WA would use. The result was this really neat effect where scale was really ambiguous due to scratches and dust. The only way to achieve this was with PC.