Quick question.
What's the distinction between shallow DOF and bukeh? Or are they kinda the same thing? Or does shallow DOF have to have the focus window visable somehow?
Bokeh specifically refers to the out-of-focus part of the image; shallow DOF refers to the depth of the focal plane, and implicitly to the technique used to create it. An image with shallow DOF is likely to have a lot of bokeh.
You could say that bokeh emphasizes background and shallow DOF emphasizes subject.
In terms of shooting for the challenge, though, there's probably not a whole lot of difference, except here you're less likely to see those silly sharp circles in the OOF areas and more likely to see smooth color fields in the background.
So I came up with a really cool pic last night which has flowers, but not in the traditional sense. The "in focus" area is pretty small, the out of focus area accentuates the background in a very pleasant way...
Questions:
1. My focal subject is 30 feet away from the point of the picture. I set the f-stop as low as it will go and am using a telephoto lens (no macro here). Is there any way to increase the effect of DOF with these parameters? The DOF is fairly subtle here and I am afraid that many users hwere will not think that it meets challenge rules. ( I would find it questionable )
2. It's a really pretty picture... Should I just hold off and enter it for July?
1. ...Is there any way to increase the effect of DOF with these parameters? The DOF is fairly subtle here and I am afraid that many users hwere will not think that it meets challenge rules. ( I would find it questionable )
2. It's a really pretty picture... Should I just hold off and enter it for July?
As to 1A, up to a point you can throw the BG more OOF by using the "front focus" technique: if, for example, with your lens at its widest aperture, when you focus at 30 feet you have 3 feet of DOF, then you could focus 3 feet in FRONT of your chosen subject and throw more of the BG out of focus that way. This can make a difference.
Regarding 1B, I entered an image like this in a shallow DOF challenge quite a while ago, a shallow DOF landscape of foxtails at the marsh, and it did not do well. While there was obviously a relatively shallow DOF, the effect apparently wasn't extreme enough to enchant the voters.
The DOF is fairly subtle here and I am afraid that many users hwere will not think that it meets challenge rules. ( I would find it questionable )
I got somewhat creamed in the missed focus challenge probably because too much was in focus. In the larger version the foreground object was OOF, but at 800 pixels it looked reasonably sharp. Lacking much real feedback, that's my assumption.
However, my experience has been that having a strong image is more important to a good average than overcoming every potential nitpick. If it is a strong enough image it will overcome those that feel it to be marginally suited.
I think Bear makes a point with his first post wherein with those macro's that place high, the Shallow DOF is simply a byproduct of the wide aperture choice BUT in this Challenge the Shallow DOF could/should play a more important or prominent role to the overall image itself. Perhaps the Shallow dof is or should be as much "the subject" as the subject itself...?
Quick question.
What's the distinction between shallow DOF and bukeh? Or are they kinda the same thing? Or does shallow DOF have to have the focus window visable somehow?
Shallow DoF refers to the in-focus portion of the picture.
Bokeh refers to the pleasing aspects of the OOF areas of the picture.
They are both caused by the aperture opening, but they are different effects.
I couldn´t find any bugs to sit still for me, so I´ve entered something that´s not a bug, nor a flower, nor a drop of water, nor a macro of some sorts. It´s far from a perfect picture and I don´t think it will score very high, but I tried to make the shallow DOF really functional for the message of my picture, and I think I sort of succeeded in that. But maybe that´s only in my mind ;)
One question however: I used a very old lens, it was from my old analog pentax (must be over 20 years old) but still works with the new digital body. One of the reasons I chose pentax. The only problem now is that the exif data is not complete, because the camera couldn´t read the aperture from the lens. I wrote it down so I could enter it manually, but it´s not in the exif data (the other values are). Would that be a problem in terms of verification?
I couldn´t find any bugs to sit still for me, so I´ve entered something that´s not a bug, nor a flower, nor a drop of water, nor a macro of some sorts. It´s far from a perfect picture and I don´t think it will score very high, but I tried to make the shallow DOF really functional for the message of my picture, and I think I sort of succeeded in that. But maybe that´s only in my mind ;)
One question however: I used a very old lens, it was from my old analog pentax (must be over 20 years old) but still works with the new digital body. One of the reasons I chose pentax. The only problem now is that the exif data is not complete, because the camera couldn´t read the aperture from the lens. I wrote it down so I could enter it manually, but it´s not in the exif data (the other values are). Would that be a problem in terms of verification?
No, just be sure to keep your unmodified original file like usual.. The aperture used isn't in the rules, but the date is..
I find that focal length and distance to subject and background affects the DOF much more than the aperture does. By using those to get the shallow DOF, you can maintain sharpness on the in focus part of your subject.
I find that focal length and distance to subject and background affects the DOF much more than the aperture does. By using those to get the shallow DOF, you can maintain sharpness on the in focus part of your subject.
I remembered that part... but seemed to be struggling... so I thought it was my aperture... but that was at 4... my lowest... Ill have to give it a shot again tomorrow... might of just been user error today.... brain wasnt 100%
I've submitted mine. It's a subtle picture so if I get above a 5.5 I will be happy... I had a couple of good outtakes on this one that may be good for the July Challenge.
