Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/03/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Dan Post asked: NOW-DOF > BD- > When photographing people- what part of the face do you focus on- what part > is in the center of your DOF?<<<< It appears there are several posts attached, but I'll start with this one of yours Dan. I'm not answering for B. D. but this is the way I shoot, have shot, and always done it.:-) It's a no brainer! On the EYES... period! When we're talking or listening to someone we don't look at their ears or any place else, unless maybe it's a female and she's a comfortable 42 whatever. ;-) Then it's a guy thing and you peek quickly, but stay focused on the EYES!! ;-) ( Sorry ladies I just had to say something stupid.) ;-) No bad stuff intended. :-) And without any thought of depth of field because if the eyes are absolutely sharp who cares what the rest of it looks like. That is unless you are a nit picker and want to see the nose hairs sharp also. Obviously any concern about depth of field doesn't really matter if yer shooting a Noctilux at f 1.0, then you better have the eyes like razor blade edges. Never mind where it goes from there. When I shoot portraits, not studio stuff, but by window light in the office of a $1.5 million a year CEO or just an ordinary folk I still focus on the eyes and stop down just enough to keep the tip of the nose and eyes sharp. Anything in front or behind doesn't enter my concern. And I do some portrait things with a 400mm just to be different, sure puts the folks at ease cause yer so far away. ;-) But man it's so damn effective in popping them off the print it's mind blowing. Oh yea and I try to shoot these wide open! 2.8 or 4. Cool pictures. :-) Obviously these are shot outdoors preferably on slightly over cast or soft light days. This way you sort your work out from everybody else unless they're shooting in similar fashion. And the only person I know at the moment who shoots the same way, with a 400mm, is my son Scott and he blows me away with this technique all the time. >>what part is in the center of your DOF?<<<< I'd be more concerned about what part is in the centre of the frame and what exactly am I focused on. Center of depth of field isn't something, nor has it ever been, a concern in any picture taking because the exact point of interest of the photograph is the sharpest point and that's the only thing you need to worry about. Everything else will fall into place where it's supposed to be. And for some reason, one wishes a depth of field from a few inches beyond the tip of your nose to the dark side of Mars, then it's simple: stop down to the smallest aperture and blast away using the hyperfocal scale. Or the depth of focus. Or wilder, use a 15mm lens stopped down and it's almost in focus from behind you to the moon. ;-) > When you get down to it- how many of us really think about DOF while we are snapping away?< Never! Unless it's for a special shot where you want a great depth, then the lens is set for max depth and away you go without thinking about it. You see, too much thought about what's going on screws up more pictures than if ones time is spent exposing film and getting on with it. :-) Without too much thought! ted - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html