PRACTICE: Portraits - depth of field and controlled aperture/shutter speed

PORTRAITS: DEPTH OF FIELD AND CONTROLLED APERTURE/SHUTTER SPEED



Using a forest environment as the backdrop, I was able to experiment and practice taking portraits of my subject. I practised using a low depth of field, using a wide aperture (f/3.6) to create an intimate portrait, one that shows close focus on the face which is stood out against an out-of-focus background. 







The above photographs show my exploration of my subjects facial angles and clothing features. Although it was a bright, sunny day, I adjusted the shutter speed settings to fast speeds, ranging from 1/250 to 1/400, to create an interesting dark effect. This effect mimicked a night-time setting whilst still allowing certain features of the subjects face and clothing to be illuminated by the natural sunlight.




These photos above show a slower shutter speed (1/80 - 1/100) but with the shallow depth of field/ wide aperture remaining, allowing more light into the photograph highlighting the colours of the image, seen in the vibrant blue of the sky bursting through the tangle of the tree branches. 

This practice has enlightened me on the way camera settings can have a dramatic effect on the produced image. It has taught me that these settings do not have to be used in conventional ways, and can be used artistically to create surprising and unnatural images. 

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