college assignment

[Funky]

Hello everyone, its been quite a while since ive posted anything, and i come back to you all with a question. right now im taking a class on photography, and i cant figure out how to do what they're asking us to do. were all supposed to take what weve learnt and figure it out, but im at a loss. so, here it goes. does anyone happen to have any idea how to focus on something in the foreground and background at the same time, while getting the middle of the frame to be out of focus? any help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks in advance

 

[xstephenx]

Stack 2 images at 2 different DOFs? I don't know that it is optically possible to focus in two different planes at the same time while having an intermediate plane out of focus.

 

[NateWagner]

wow, that's an odd assignment, you're sure they said to do foreground and background in focus with middle out of focus and not the other way around?

Unless you decided to use photoshop or something I have no idea on earth how you would do that, unless somehow you could get the foreground and background on a similar plane. If they were talking about say, getting the top and bottom of the picture in focus and the middle of the picture out of focus that would be easy enough.

otherwise I'm not sure.

 

[NateWagner]

yeah, I guess you could stack it, that would definitely work. I guess if we knew what kind of stuff his photography class was working on etc. that would help.

 

[Smith2688]

This is a pure guess as I've never done one before, but, assuming you're using film, perhaps do a multiple exposure with each individual exposure time cut in half. In other words, if you wanted f/2.8 at 1/60, do two exposures at f/2.8 1/125. Keep the camera on a tripod and only change the focus.

 

[RyanLilly]

This is a pure guess as I've never done one before, but, assuming you're using film, perhaps do a multiple exposure with each individual exposure time cut in half. In other words, if you wanted f/2.8 at 1/60, do two exposures at f/2.8 1/125. Keep the camera on a tripod and only change the focus.

I do believe that 2 exposures on one frame of film is required also.

good control of lighting will help also, light one subject brighter for the first exposure and then light the other subject for the second exposure

 

[JerryPH]

2 images are required to do this. Are you sure you did not misunderstand, and that it is 2 planes OUT of focus and ONE plane in the center that is focused?

 

[fstopusa]

I'm not real sure if what they are after is just selective focus like you would get with a lensbaby or with the tilts and swings of a view camera. You can also play around with a smudge of Vaseline on a UV filter. Other than that I would think we are talking about multiple exposures or digital manipulation.

 

[Village Idiot]

I'm not real sure if what they are after is just selective focus like you would get with a lensbaby or with the tilts and swings of a view camera. You can also play around with a smudge of Vaseline on a UV filter. Other than that I would think we are talking about multiple exposures or digital manipulation.

This is probably the quickest way to do this. That's what I would do if it were my class, but I'm really good at slacking.

 

[Funky]

Thanks for the replys, yea, its a very odd assignment. were doing some strange depth of field stuff. the problem is half the class is using film, and the other half (including me) are using digital. i had a talk with the prof today about it, and he said theres a way, but he doesnt expect anyone to figure it out, maybe its best to just want and see what he comes up with lol.

 

[saltface]

What do you get if you figure it out?

 

[Foques]

Understanding Exposure book talks about that kind of picture. It is one of the "practice" parts of it. I'll type up what the author says when I get home today.

 

[xstephenx]

Thanks for the replys, yea, its a very odd assignment. were doing some strange depth of field stuff. the problem is half the class is using film, and the other half (including me) are using digital. i had a talk with the prof today about it, and he said theres a way, but he doesnt expect anyone to figure it out, maybe its best to just want and see what he comes up with lol.

I think he is lying to you. I am not professional photographer, but I know from physics 202 (optics) that you can't have one lens that will focus at two different planes if that lens is the only thing you are using. I'm sure with some quick math you could figure out how to do it with mirrors. But if he truly wants foreground in focus, mid OOF, and background in focus I would like to know how he goes about doing it.

 

[JerryPH]

Understanding Exposure book talks about that kind of picture. It is one of the "practice" parts of it. I'll type up what the author says when I get home today.

I have that book, but don't recall it. Time to maybe look through it again.

 

[christopher walrath]

If you're supposed to do it based on what you have learned in class, then that might be the best thing to do since we haven't been in the classroom ourselves.