Project 52, Week 11, Foreground, Background, and Everything in Between

To add depth and dimension to a photograph, consider the foreground, middle ground, and background.

Foreground: the area of the scene closest to the camera
Middle ground: the area between the foreground and background
Background: the area farthest from the camera

Some things to consider:

• Do you have an interesting element in the foreground that leads the eye into the photograph or that "anchors" the scene?Do you have leading lines - lines that lead you from the foreground through the middle ground to the background? Some examples of leading lines: a road, a fence, a walkway, a shadow, a ray of light
• Can you use depth of field to emphasize one section?  Blurring the background can make the foreground elements "pop out"; blurring the foreground can add a sense of distance between the "front" of the scene to the middle ground or background; keeping all the sections in focus, with other compositional techniques such as layering, can create a sense of great depth between the front and back of the photo.
• Where is the horizon?  If it's higher in the picture it emphasizes the foreground, if it's lower it creates a stronger background.
• Do you have layers, such as a bench in the foreground, a fountain in the middle ground, and a building in the background?

Suggested Readings and Photographic Examples:

1. Photography Composition - Foreground, Middleground, Background by Gregory Cazillo; 10 minute YouTube video showing examples of photos with Mr. Cazillo explaining the Foreground, Middle ground, and Background; not the most professional tutorial but good descriptions for the examples ranging from landscapes to interiors to baby portraits.
2. Learning Composition - Foreground, Middleground, Background by John Watson from Photodoto; short article pertaining to photos with focus on all three areas
3. Depth-of-Field and Focus by Klaus Schroff with photos by Michael Wagner - short article with illustrations, and Composition in Nature Photography and the Elements of a Photograph 2 by Gloria Hopkins - short section on Background and Foreground; from photoinf.com
4. Placing the Horizon Line from Fodor's Focus on Travel Photography; short article with tips and photos
5. Composition - Depth of Field from Kevin Hail Photography; short article on placing subject in foreground or background
6. More Compositional Elements by Suzanne Williams from Steve's Digicams; short section on Background and Foreground
7. Photography Composition, Part Two.html and Foreground and Depth of Field from Rocky Mountain Photography; medium sized articles with photos

2012 Project 12-52-365
2012 Project 12, Month 3, Depth and Dimension

Project 52, Week 10, Depth of Field (DOF)

Effective use of depth of field can add depth and dimension to a photo.  Depth of field (DOF) is the area of the scene that is in acceptable focus. 

• If you have a very shallow depth of field, only the subject itself will be in focus.  The area behind the subject will be blurry.  This is also referred to as "narrow DOF".
• If you have a deep depth of field, the entire picture will be in focus.  This is also referred to as "great DOF" or "extended DOF".

This can be more complicated than it sounds and takes practice to perfect.  There are 3 things that affect the depth of field:

1. Aperture - refers to the lens opening that allows light to enter the camera and reach the sensor (or film)
• the larger the aperture the shallower the depth of field
• The size of the opening is indicated by the F-stop; the larger the F-stop the smaller the opening.  [Think of this the same way you do fractions - 1/2 of a pie is bigger than 1/4, 1/4 is bigger than 1/8, and so on, just as an aperture of F-2 is wider than one of F-4 which is wider than F-8, and so on]
2. Distance - the distance between the camera and the subject
• the greater the distance between the camera and the subject, the greater the depth of field
• the shorter the distance, the shallower the depth of field
3. Focal length - basically, the distance from the lens to the sensor (film)
• the longer the focal length, the shallower the depth of field
• the shorter the focal length, the greater the depth of field
• wide angle lens (such as 21 - 35 mm) have a greater depth of field than telephoto lenses (greater than 70 mm) ["Normal" lenses are generally considered to have a focal length of 35 - 70 mm, usually 50 mm.]

Use a shallow depth of field to focus attention on the main subject. 

• This helps you to apply the composition rule Simplify.
• This is frequently used for portrait and nature photography.
• Usually you will want the subject to be in sharp focus, but you might try blurring the subject and having something else, perhaps a contrasting element, in focus

Use a deep depth of field to include all elements in the scene. 

• This is frequently used for landscape photography (but a shallower depth of field can also be effective).
• Don't make the scene too "busy" or your story will get lost.

Suggested Reading and Photographic Examples:

1. Depth of Field by Joe Hinshaw and Steve Anderson from School of Media Arts & Design, James Madison University; interactive depth of field tutorial
2. Depth of Field Explained by Steve Basiter and and Peter Bargh from ePhotozine; medium size article with pictures of camera settings
3. DOFMaster; calculators, articles, FAQs
4. To Blur of Not to Blur from Photography in Malaysia; article and photos
5. Effective use of hyperfocal focusing for wide angle landscape photos by Rod Barbee from Barbee Photo; article with photos and tables
6. Tutorials: Depth of Field from Cambridge in Color; an article including "Circle of Confusion" and DOF calculators
7. Depth of Field and Diffraction by Norman Koren from Norman Koren.com; article includes several tables, complicated formulas, and discussion of diffraction

Learning Videos:

1. Photography 1 on 1: Depth of Field by Mark Wallace from AdoramaTV; a 7 minute video
2. Photography tutorial - depth of field by Scott Muller from Total Image; a 4 minute YouTube video
3. Canon EOS - Getting Started: Depth of Field Photography from Cannon Australia; a 3 minute YouTube video
4. Understanding Depth of Field in Digital Photos from Dummies.com; 2 minute video
5. Lens Focal Length by Darren Cole; a 5.5 minute video lecture on focal length

Bonus Learning Opportunities for Aperture and Focal Length:

1. Back to the Basics: Aperture/F-Stop part 2 by Valerie Hayken from VH Photography & Design, Photo-Talk; brief explanation of F-stops and the relationship to DOF
2. Photography 1 on 1: Aperture Values by Mark Wallace from AdoramaTV; an 8 minute YouTube video with thorough discussion on apertures, focal length, and aperture values
3. Understanding Camera Lenses from Cambridge in Colour; explanation of focal length with tables and drawings as well as photos
4. Lens Focal Length from Paragon Press; an article with comparative photos
5. The Use of Focal Length in Landscape Photography by Wim van Velzen from photoinf; an article with pictures

Project 12, Month 3, Depth and Dimension

Photographs, by nature, are only two dimensional (height and width).  This month we review techniques to add a third dimension, depth.  Composing a shot with depth and dimension can turn a snapshot into a photograph.

Some techniques for creating depth and dimension

• Use the Rule of Thirds - put your subject off-center
• Depth of field - refers to the portion of the scene that is in acceptable focus
• Layering  
• Include foreground elements - such as a meadow in front of a lake in front of a mountain in front of a sky
• Use silhouettes
• Use reflections
• Natural framing - for example, use tree branches to frame a lake scene
• Visual lines
• Converging lines - such as railroad tracks that appear wider in the foreground and narrower as they go into the scene
• Leading lines - such as a winding road leading into the background
• Placement of the horizon
• Dwindling sizes of like subjects - such as a photo of a row of trees taken from an angle that makes the trees in front appear taller than the trees at the far end of the row
• Point of view - get low and shoot up, get high and shoot down
• Design elements
• Color
• Light
• Texture

Suggested Reading and Photographic Examples:

1. Composition Basics: That's Deep by Jeff Wignall from Adorama; an article with photos
2. Composition; Creating a Sense of Depth from Coldsnap Photography; an article with photos
3. Maximizing Perspective and Depth in Your Photography by Simon Bray from phototuts+; an article with photos
4. Perspective from NAVY training manual; article with b/w photos
5. Photography 101 Rules for Composition: Create Depth by Benjamin Yoder from examiner.com; short article with 2 pictures - one "good" example and one "bad" example
6. Visual Design Elements: Perspective from Ultimate Photo Tips; an article with photos
7. Architecture Photography: Top 10 Tips for Creating Breathtaking Architecture Photos by Thomas Holtkötter from Fotoblur; Pictures illustrating depth and dimension

See the page 2012 Project12-52-365 for a complete list of the topics.