Super shallow Dof and bokeh just a fad?

Bebulamar · Jan 6, 2015

.[/QUOTE]
See I dislike the opposite. When I see a baby that is 100% focused I think "anyone could have done that with a ps or an iphone".

Shooting wide open takes skill and practice. I rarely shoot a (single subject) portrait over 2.8.[/QUOTE]

That is why it is a fad. When I started photography in the late 70's the smallest format was 35mm full frame. Sure they did have 35mm half frame, 126 and 110 but few people used them seriously. Many people back then had medium format and even large format and the film speed is slow and so getting more depth of field is the difficult thing and not less depth of field. Nowaday, 35mm full frame is considered large as there are medium format cameras but people who use those are far fewer than people with medium format film camera of the past. Many serious photographers now use APS-C or M4/3 and almost everyone has a camera phone with the tiny sensor. So today's getting good depth of field is easy so people now want less depth of field.

Tee · Jan 6, 2015

Can we all agree that shallow dof is still better than selective coloring?

Vtec44 · Jan 7, 2015

Shallow DOF has its uses and certain artistic value. I consider it more or less a style.

Braineack · Jan 7, 2015

Tee said:
Can we all agree that shallow dof is still better than selective coloring?

What about selective blurring? This is a current trend I cannot stand.

Designer · Jan 7, 2015

I think what most experienced photographers are objecting to is the random application of a shallow DOF.

When used constantly, we tend to see the photographer as one who is not knowledgeable.

When used appropriately, it works wonders.

JTPhotography · Jan 7, 2015

Anything is better than HDR. :1398:

Designer · Jan 7, 2015

There again, HDR has its uses as well. It is the over-doing it that spoils it.

Vtec44 · Jan 7, 2015

White vignette...

photog15 · Jan 7, 2015

I wish HDR was a fad

Vtec44 · Jan 7, 2015

I hope the current "film" replica is just a fad. Some of them just look like a bad Instagram filter and nothing like film.

JacaRanda · Jan 7, 2015

I had no idea there was so much to hate in photography.

paigew · Jan 7, 2015

Yeah pretty crazy that people think everything should look the same and anyone who tries something new is just following a fad and is ignorant about photography. I find it rude to judge others in that way. my camera rarely leaves wide open on my (2.8) lens and yeah I can manual focus wide open on a moving target with a lensbaby and nail focus. I like shallow DOF. I like it a lot. I doubt I will change the way I shoot based on what everyone else is doing. DOF is an artistic choice. I like my photos to have a dreamy ethereal feel. And I know how to achieve that look.

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Braineack · Jan 8, 2015

JacaRanda said:
I had no idea there was so much to hate in photography.

without hate, there could not be love?

pixmedic · Jan 8, 2015

perhaps "fad" is a poor choice of wording. I think what we have is aspects of photography that were previously only known to actual "photographers", and now that cameras are cheap and plentiful, we have a lot more people shooting and "discovering" these things....And what do we do with newly discovered pleasures? We indulge in them. (a lot for some of us) so, it seems like things are being overused, but its just in reference to the amount of people shooting now compared to years ago. styles, per capita, probably haven't really changed all that much.

I think once you have been shooting for a while you tend to gravitate towards what you like and are good at, and less towards the other things. I am certainly no exception to this.