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Student Photographer needs technical advice
Hey there -- This is my first post. I am a student photographer at
University of South Florida -- St Petersburg. Later today I'll get the chance to make photos of juveniles at an area correctional facility. They are puppy-raisers for a guide dog school in this area.. If you've seen Animal Planet's "Cell Dogs" you understand what I'm talking about. I am assigned to make a photo essay -- and -- one portrait. Since these are juveniles -- I can't photograph their faces.. I can, however, photo the guide dog representative, and maybe a guard -- if they give permission. I thought I'd try a silhouette shot for the portrait. I could use some technical advice about shooting silhouettes. I have a brand new Canon Digital Rebel. I own a 50 mm lens, a 70-300mm lens; and a 24mm wide angle lens. I do not own any other equipment. (That was expensive enough for now!) I am also having issues reaching deep depth of field in bright sunlight -- so far I can only achieve it using my telephoto lens. If any of you have time to offer advice -- I'd really appreciate it. I still can't believe that I've been given permission to be in a PRISON. I leave to shoot the assignment in 2.5 hours.. I'll stay on this site reading responses till them.. _________________ |
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#4
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sounds like you don't know what
depth of field is. Depth of field has nothing to do with the lens, and all to do with apature. Actually it sounds like the student knows more than you do. You don't realize that the FOCAL length of the lens also determines the amount of depth of field? Such as a WIDE angle lens has much more DOF than a TELEPHOTO one. Isn't that why most portrait photographers use moderate TELEPHOTO lens because it gives them better DEPTH OF FIELD??? |
#5
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"Steven Wandy" wrote in message
... sounds like you don't know what depth of field is. Depth of field has nothing to do with the lens, and all to do with apature. Actually it sounds like the student knows more than you do. You don't realize that the FOCAL length of the lens also determines the amount of depth of field? Such as a WIDE angle lens has much more DOF than a TELEPHOTO one. Isn't that why most portrait photographers use moderate TELEPHOTO lens because it gives them better DEPTH OF FIELD??? No, portrait photographers use moderate telephoto lenses to minimize distortion (caused mainly by being too close) and to allow them to fill the frame while keeping the subject more comfortable. Also the less depth of field of the telephoto lens (compared to a "normal") helps to control the background. And for what it's worth, he's right in saying that depth of field has nothing to do with the lens (mostly right anyway). Depth of field is controlled by the actual opening of the lens and the relative size of the image on the negative to the subject (assuming the same print sizes). If you take a wide angle lens and fill the frame with your subject then fill the frame with the same subject using a telephoto lens and print both pictures to the same sizee you'll have the same depth of field in both shots. If you fill the frame with your subject using a telephoto lens then switch to a wide angle lens but DON'T move the camera or the subject then you'll see a much greater depth of field with the wide angle lens because the image of the subject will be much smaller on the negative the the image shot with the telephoto lens. Jeffery S. Harrison |
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On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 05:24:31 GMT, "Steven Wandy"
wrote: sounds like you don't know what depth of field is. Depth of field has nothing to do with the lens, and all to do with apature. Actually it sounds like the student knows more than you do. You don't realize that the FOCAL length of the lens also determines the amount of depth of field? Such as a WIDE angle lens has much more DOF than a TELEPHOTO one. Isn't that why most portrait photographers use moderate TELEPHOTO lens because it gives them better DEPTH OF FIELD??? The focal length has no effect, its all distance from subject. Portrait photographers use a medium telephoto so they don't get distortion and have a good working distance from the subject. |
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I realize that they use short telephoto lens to fill the frame without
getting into the face of the model (which would cause distortion if using a wide angle lens), but you can't tell me that any particular aperture on a wide angle lens would give the same depth of field as that same aperture on a telephoto lens? I realize that aperture and lens to subject distance have larger effects on DOF, but the focal length of the lens being used also effects it. |
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I realize that they use short telephoto lens to fill the frame without
getting into the face of the model (which would cause distortion if using a wide angle lens), but you can't tell me that any particular aperture on a wide angle lens would give the same depth of field as that same aperture on a telephoto lens? I realize that aperture and lens to subject distance have larger effects on DOF, but the focal length of the lens being used also effects it. |
#9
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In message ,
"Steven Wandy" wrote: sounds like you don't know what depth of field is. Depth of field has nothing to do with the lens, and all to do with apature. Actually it sounds like the student knows more than you do. You don't realize that the FOCAL length of the lens also determines the amount of depth of field? Such as a WIDE angle lens has much more DOF than a TELEPHOTO one. Isn't that why most portrait photographers use moderate TELEPHOTO lens because it gives them better DEPTH OF FIELD??? There are a number of ways to look at it, but one very simple and important thing to remember is that (all other things being equal), two images with the same subject size in the frame and the same f-stop will have the same DOF. You don't get greater DOF by moving closer to your subject and using a shorter focal length lens! The same subject taken at the same f-stop with a 100mm lens instead of a 400mm lens, from 1/4 the distance, will have the same DOF. You choose the focal length by how close you want to be to the subject, what kind of perspective you want, and how much camera shake the FL can handle. -- John P Sheehy |
#10
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In message ,
"Steven Wandy" wrote: I realize that they use short telephoto lens to fill the frame without getting into the face of the model (which would cause distortion if using a wide angle lens), but you can't tell me that any particular aperture on a wide angle lens would give the same depth of field as that same aperture on a telephoto lens? I realize that aperture and lens to subject distance have larger effects on DOF, but the focal length of the lens being used also effects it. .... not with the same f-stop and subject size on the recording medium. -- John P Sheehy |
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