Results from "Focus at different apertures"

These are the images demonstrating how changing the aperture, but leaving the focus in the same place can control the DOF. Lower f/stops mean wider apertures, allowing more light in. Because more light is allowed into the lens and onto the senser this throws more of the image out of focus. Higher f/stops mean smaller apertures, less light and more of the shot in focus. The DOF will get wider or more shallow but the central point that was in focus will remain sharp and in focus. Also higher f/stops mean more gradual blurring and a less harsh looking field of focus.

Image 1 was taken at f/5.6, image 2 at f/22 and image 3 at f/32. The change in DOF, background detail and how quickly or slowly the sharpness of focus blurs away is obvious.

Results from "Focus with a set aperture"

Here are the 3 shots i took for the second excercise on my Photography 1 course. There are 3 images, 2 taken at f5.0 and focused on different planes and one shot at f29 which should have all 3 batteries in focus. My favourite of the 3 is with the focus on the front battery. This is hopefully something i can incorporate in future images, using aperture priority and a large aperture to restrict the DOF and focus the eye on a single subject. I suspect this would work well with portraits.

Some of my images.

Above: A shot i took at 300mm of ice and bramble. I liked the way it held shape when it was so thin and how it was almost like a pane of glass in front of the plant. The main problem for me is the brown twig on the right hand side.

Above: HDR shot of a church interior - St Annes Square in Manchester. Created from 3 exposures from a single RAW file and compiled in Photoshop Elements 8.

Above: Shot taken of Yorkshire Street in Rochdale. Main shopping street in the town. I tried to capture the speed of everyday ife with this. Used the selectively coloured dummy as a point of comparison.

Above: A portrait of a friend. He requested this for use on a CD cover. Of the shoot this is the only image i was happy with. Slight edit of the colours in Elements 8 with increased saturation on the background to bring the eye to the smoother colours of the subject.

I thought a photography blog would probably be improved by the presence of some actual photographs, so here are a few of my past shots... well the better ones that is.

If nothing else at least i'll be able to look back and laugh - Hopefully anyway.

My First Entry

Well, this is my first blog entry. Hopefully this blog will be used to map my journey with Photography and on my OCA course. Suppose i'll add more later.