Depth of Field - help?

[480sparky]

You're gonna need a lens with a wider aperture.
Try 50mm 1.2, 1.4, or the 1.8

Focus closer than the images being held out. DOF will cover them, but not the people in the background.

 

[Josh66]

You're gonna need a lens with a wider aperture.
Try 50mm 1.2, 1.4, or the 1.8

Focus closer than the images being held out. DOF will cover them, but not the people in the background.

I would also zoom your lens to 55mm and use the largest aperture (f/5.6 in your case), and get as close as you can while keeping the prints in focus. Not sure if that will be enough to pull it off, but it will be your best bet.

Set the lens to the minimum focusing distance, like 480sparky says, then -using the DOF preview button- inch forward, getting as close as you can while keeping the prints in focus. Actually, since the lens will be wide open, you shouldn't have to use DOF preview.

 

[slindsey137]

Thanks everyone!

 

[rambler]

You will get f/5.6 when at the 55mm, but f/3.5 at the 18mm

 

[rambler]

That is a good idea about the 50m prime. But consider this; The closer you are to the foreground subject, the more blur in the background. And, you will get more background blur if you increase the distance between the foreground subject and the background. Maybe set the photos on a table and move the couple further into the background.

With the 18mm-55mm, you will get a wider f/stop with a wider mm, I think at 18mm the f/stop will be 3.5. The f/stop at 18mm and 55mm should be written on the lens For example, 3.5/5.6

 

[JoeW]

Please excuse my piggyback. A friend wants me to take a photograph like this . I have been trying to practice it, but I can't seem to make it work with my 18-55 mm lens. It is currently the only one I have. I can't get anything wider than f/5.6 with it. Any suggestions on a new lens?

You don't need a lens with an f1.2 or f1.4 or even f1.6 aperture. At f1.2, eyelashes can be in focus and the eye itself will start to be blurry--the DoF is that narrow. f1.8 or 2.0 will be sufficient for your purposes in order to get that shot. Your profile says you shoot Canon so this recommendation may not help you but Nikon makes a lovely 35mm f1.8 lens. It's very inexpensive (new, it's under $200 and most fast primes are going to run you around $400 or higher), it's sturdy and reliable and it will produce that shot for you PERFECTLY.

And BTW, your inspiration shot is a perfect example of why people obsessing over camera upgrades (while shooting with kit lens) have their priorities misplaced. That shot you showed is dependent far more on the glass than on the camera. With a narrow DoF (i.e.: the right lens), almost any body (including a bunch of out of production bodies like a D40 or D70) can easily create that shot.