Extra Credit Assignment - Creative Focus

DUE: Final (4) Images Printed, (2) for Shallow DOF and (2) for Out of Focus DUE with your portfolio.

Sharpness Is Overrated

Keith Carter

Assignment

Create a series of photographs in which the main subject as well as the surrounding areas of your image are out of focus and where you explore the use of shallow depth of field. Think outside the normal boundaries of photography and do’t forget about long exposures, movement or other creative devices you have available to you. Think about what it means to be out of focus and what that world would be like. A world where everything is soft, is this better or worse? Keep in mind your own ideas and thoughts concerning this challenge. Out of focus could refer to sight, memory, dreams, glaring sun, etc...........

You must create 2 images where the subject is completely out of focus, and 2 in which you use shallow depth of field. When you select to work on shallow DOF, you will be using a small aperture number, large aperture opening and remember that distance to subject plays a major role here as well. Many students ask me how to take a photograph out of focus, you literally have to manually adjust the focusing ring on the lens so that the subject is no longer sharp. This will require you to turn off your Auto Focus.

Remember, when you take a photograph out of focus the defining lines of the subject matter now disappear and everything becomes a large area gray matter. I find it extremely important to have a very high contrast scene, a tree limb against a white sky, a person in front of a window, or in general a subject that will retain a kind of shape once it is out of focus.

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-tips/out-of-focus-richardson/

http://www.thephotoargus.com/inspiration/40-beautiful-examples-of-bokeh-photography/

Tips

Some photographers that have used out of focus or soft focus images are Uta Barth, Harry Callahan, Julia Margart Cameron, Ralph Eugene Meatyard and Keith Carter.

Search the web for Pictorialism & Bokeh to help you gain an understanding of using visual information that is out of focus.