HYPERFOCAL DISTANCE

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If you want to get everything in your photograph focused perfectly sharp, try the following:

Set your camera on a tripod, and with Aperture Priority, put your aperture to the highest 'f' number possible (usually f-22 or f-32).

Compose your photograph and lock the tripod head so the camera can't move. Set your camera lens to focus manually.

Now, look at the scene in front of you, and locate the object that is closest to you, and the object that is farthest in the distance. In my example photo, the closest object is the dark green cactus with thick leaves, and the furthest object is the green plant with long thin leaves.

At this point, you will need to mentally divide up the distance into 'thirds'. Locate the object that is one-third distance away from the camera (round prickly cactus in the middle of the frame), and manually focus your lens on that object.

You are now ready to take your photograph, and the image will have the maximum possible sharpness throughout the frame.

Extra hint: wide-angle lenses will always offer more depth-of-field than telephoto zoom lenses.

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SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD

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Most lenses that come with a camera are consumer lenses, meaning that they are priced to be competitive and affordable. These lenses can have perfectly fine optics, but they suffer from a lack of shallow depth of field. Your lens has "f" numbers that relate to the changeable size of the circular aperture blades. A wide circle allows a lot of light into the camera, and a small circle reduces the amount of light entering the camera.

A "fast" lens refers to lenses that have small f-numbers, such as f1.4, f1.8, or f2.8. These lenses, although often more expensive than your normal lenses, have the benefit of offering the photo a very shallow depth of field. The above example photo was taken with a 50mm f1.4 lens. Part of its pleasant nature is the fact that the background is out of focus. If your lens has f4.5 as its smallest f-number, the background may remain somewhat in-focus, thus reducing the photos visual impact.

Not everyone can afford 'fast' lenses, as they are professional models and can be more than $1000. However, why not start out with a used 50mm f1.4, or a 85mm f1.8 lens? These prime lenses will increase the value of your photos in two ways: they will be sharper than your consumer zoom lenses, and they will offer a much shallower depth of field (which means more background blur).

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com

Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

DEPTH OF FIELD

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

Low Depth of Field means that only a small "sliver" of the picture will be in focus, and the remaining parts of the picture space will be softly out-of-focus. This is very helpful for People photography, as long as the point of focus is always the subjects eyes.

There are two main ways to obtain low depth of field. Purchase a 50mm f1.8 lens, and set the lens to f1.8. Focus on the subject's eyes, and everything else should go out of focus. The closer the camera is to the subject, the greater the effect.

If you currently only have a zoom lens that came with your camera, you can still get a good effect without buying a new lens. Set the zoom lens to the longest setting, such a 200mm, and the f-stop at its lowest number, such as f5.6. Similar to the 50mm lens, the closer the camera is to the subject, the greater the effect. You may need to use a tripod however when using such a long lens. The longer the focal length, the greater the chance of camera shake.

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SYMMETRICAL COMPOSITIONS

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When photographers first learn about compositional guidelines, such as the rule of thirds, they are often subconsciously bound by these parameters. One thing to keep in mind is that if an image is symmetrical, or has a triangular appearance to it, a centered composition often works best. For the above image, if the door was placed on the left or right of the picture space (rule of thirds), the photo would lose much of its strength. Indeed, images that have triangular shapes are often associated with power or authority, and to compose off-center will often weaken the photograph.

The best way to find out for yourself what compositions look best is to take three versions of the same scene; one where the center of interest is to the left, one to the right, and one in the center. It won't take long to be able to know in advance of your picture taking what composition will be the most effective.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com

Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com