DOF practice...C&C Please!

[DScience]

I went out to the city today and tried out some various DOF techniques. My main goal was to try and use DOF to focus the attention on a certain part, while blurring the surroundings. I want to get a faster lens to help improve this, but here is what I got with my 18-55 lens. C&C please!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

[radioman]

I like them.

 

[blash]

nice work :thumbsup:

 

[DScience]

Thank you Radioman & blash!

 

[pokopelo]

I like 4 and 5 the best... good photos here...

 

[DScience]

Thank you!

I have a question, can anyone comment on how different these pics might look if I used this new lens i want to get, the nikon 35mm f1.8??

 

[docphotog]

to add another question, for photo #1, how would you be able to just get a tight shot for the 3 bolts forming a triangle in the middle of the pic?

 

[DScience]

to add another question, for photo #1, how would you be able to just get a tight shot for the 3 bolts forming a triangle in the middle of the pic?

What do you mean exactly??

 

[inTempus]

I really like #5.

 

[Deandra]

Your perception on these photographs is so unique! You have the creative juices flowing for sure! I like that you practiced depth perception from all angles. The photographs came out very well, keep more coming!!!

 

[rangerrick9211]

Thank you!

I have a question, can anyone comment on how different these pics might look if I used this new lens i want to get, the nikon 35mm f1.8??

F-stop 3.5 on your 18-55mm compared to a 1.8 will create a significant difference in the DOF. I have the cannon 50mm f1.8 and love it just for that fact. Plus it's amazing for low light.

 

[TJ K]

Good pictures i like them. If you got a shallower depth of field it would be better but still good none the less.

 

[DScience]

Good pictures i like them. If you got a shallower depth of field it would be better but still good none the less.

I can't agree more, which is why I want to get a faster lens. I'm curious, do you think I could have gotten a shallower depth of field with the lens I used, but kept the relative size of my subjects the same?

 

[johngpt]

Thank you!

I have a question, can anyone comment on how different these pics might look if I used this new lens i want to get, the nikon 35mm f1.8??

With much shorter depth of field, your first image might look something like this:

So you'd have to be changing your view point and your compositions.

 

[Samanax]

I can't agree more, which is why I want to get a faster lens. I'm curious, do you think I could have gotten a shallower depth of field with the lens I used, but kept the relative size of my subjects the same?

There are 4 things to keep in mind when you want a shallow DOF...the size of the aperture, the focal length of the lens, the distance between the lens and the subject and the distance between the subject and the background. To get a shallow DOF you want to use the biggest aperture your lens lets you use for the focal length you're shooting at...you want to use a fairly long focal length (zoom out)...you want to get close to your subject and you want your subject to be far from the background.

See this article and this article.

If you shot these images with your 18-55mm lens, try shooting with the 55-200mm lens and see what a difference it can make when shooting with a longer focal length and staying close to the subjects.