With varied aperture (f/stop) settings you can keep everything sharp, or blur the background. Use the Aperture Priority Mode: S (aperture) or AV (aperture value) to control how wide your lens opens, and that determines how much is in focus, which is called “depth of field.” In Aperture Priority mode, you control the aperture and your camera chooses an appropriate shutter speed based on the available light.

Equipment

DLSR Camera; Tripod not needed, unless you shoot the Deep depth inside;
Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom for appropriate adjustments (exposure, color, sharpness).

Instructions

Remember VARIETY! If you only post two examples of a concept, be sure they are completely different from each other. It is great to post more than two images in an effort to excel, but only post good quality images that are different from each other. Quality is more important than quantity. Your blog post is only as good as your weakest image. You will need to take a lot of photos in a variety of settings to get a few fascinating images.

1. DEEP: Capture at least 2 completely different images to show deep depth of field (foreground and background in focus) REMEMBER: Large number = Large amount in focus.
Use A or Av mode (Aperture priority); Rotate dial to a large number (small aperture), such as f/16 – f/22; Choose broad daylight to gather plenty of light with this small aperture to get the foreground and background in focus.  Focus on something in the foreground (5 -15 feet away) and something distant in the background (building, mountains, etc.) If you shoot this inside, be sure to use a tripod and shoot in a long room with a large distance between a close object and a far object, to show everything is in focus.

2. SHALLOW: Capture at least 2 completely different images to show shallow depth of field (only a narrow area in focus, with bokeh (background blur)  REMEMBER: Small number = Small amount in focus.
Use A or Av mode (Aperture priority); rotate dial to a small number (large aperture) such as f/3.5 (do not use zoom to get this low number). Focus on your subject and be sure the background is not too close, or you won’t get enough background blur to show your shallow depth. Keep things at least 15-20 feet away to show plenty of bokeh. You can shoot this inside or outside with moderate or low light, but not dark.

3. SUBMISSION: Do not submit until everything is complete. Once you submit, be sure NOT to change anything on your post, until after it is graded. Canvas creates a screenshot of your blog post at the time you submit that we will view.
1. A URL to your blog post (not home or log-in page) to the WEB URL tab (not as a comment).
2.Before class, choose your best photo (only one) from this project and add it to the correct Class Facebook album. NOTE: Go to Photos > Albums — in the left upper column of the FB Group.

Image Labels (Metadata)

Hopefully you are learning from studying the results of your camera settings. This is the last time you will be required to add your metadata labels. Use this order:  1. Title of photo – 2. Date, Time, Place – 3. Focal Length – 4. F/stop (aperture) – 5. Shutter Speed  – 6. Camera – Other:  tripod, flash, reflector, self-timer, remote, etc.  You may insert these labels beneath your images in your blog post, or in the image caption. Or you may add canvas size beneath images in Photoshop after sizing your image. Just choose a method that is best for you.

Rubric

NOTE: Meeting the minimum requirements is “average” and constitutes an 80% or B- grade, according to the University Grading Guide. To receive a higher grade, students should excel. However, quality and/or difficulty is more important than quantity.

√ SIZING: Photos sized to 1080 pixels on the short side. First part of jpeg filename is student’s name. Example: JakeSpencer-Tetons.jpg. Photos displayed at “Large” size in blog post, per instructions in Week 1 > Photo Blog Instructions. Photos are clickable.
√ PROCESS: Detailed paragraph (3-5 sentences) about the process;  Detailed Labels : Title, DTP, Focal Length, Fstop, SS, Camera.
√ INSTRUCTIONS: 2+ new, completely different images showing DEEP DEPTH…Foreground object and background are sharp;  2+ new, completely different photos showing shallow depth. Show bokeh (blur) but make sure something is sharp!
√ PHOTO QUALITY:  LFCC: Light – Focus – Composition – Creativity;  VARIETY of approaches;
√ APPROPRIATE EDITS for professional display
√ SUBMISSION: Link submitted was a true hyperlink and linked directly to the completed blog post. Best photo to FB.

 

CAUTION: YOUR ASSIGNMENT IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL YOU SUBMIT A LINK TO IT HERE. However, you are allowed a one-time extension, if you choose to use your mulligan. Please read about it in the syllabus. We check your blog post for completion right at the deadline, so please do not add things later. Everything needs to be complete when you post the link.

Advanced Options, Tips & Tutorials

Google the following topics to find inspirational examples, tutorials and videos.
Attend Visual Society meetings to learn more advanced options and get inspired!

SHALLOW – USE MANUAL FOCUS TO GET CLOSER:  Turn your lens to Manual Focus (Switch button to M on left side of lens) and manually turn the focus ring on your lens to dial in the focus at a much closer distance. The autofocus feature on your 18-55mm kit lens will not let you focus on anything closer than about 18 inches. But if you try this trick, you can get much closer and still get your lens to get a sharp focus. If you use a small aperture # such as f/ 3.5 – 5 then you will have more bokeh (background blur).
DEEP – WIDE ANGLE LANDSCAPES:  Google “wide angle landscapes” for inspiration and use a wide angle lens, such as the Tokina 11-16mm to shoot sweeping landscapes that allow you to capture much more width. It is very effective when you get extremely close to a foreground subject, such as a tree stump or large rocks.
TIP – SUNFLARE SECRET: Using f/22 is the secret to getting a sunflare. Also, choose morning or evening so you can position yourself so the sun is partially blocked by an object, then use a tripod with these settings: f/22, ISO 100 and a slow shutter, such as 1/10 or 2 seconds, etc., depending on your available light. You should also use bracketing, which is to take the same shot with three different exposures:  0 (normal exposure), +2 (overexpose) and -2 (underexposed). This way you can an be sure and get the whole frame properly exposed. You may like the sunflare and sky better in the -2 shot, but you can mask in the foreground from the +2 image because it was too dark in the -2 image.