Rachel Jayne Photography: large depth of field

Wednesday, 18 March 2015

Zooming

Zooming is a technique that can create truly amazing results if done correctly. It can take a fair amount of practice to nail the art of 'Zooming' but the unique quality of these types of images is worth the patience. Below are two images of my very first time trying this out, I would like to try this out again as I feel with more practice using a variety of subjects, I could achieve more eye catching results. These images are a reasonable example but they are a tad bland, still they do have some awesome motion blur. I would like to try this out using a tree and somewhere really colourful to create an image that is just bursting out with colour; patterns would be an interesting subject for this technique also.

To create this affect it is best to use a lens that can be manually focused and is quick to turn. A fixed lens won't work as the basis of this technique lies within the movement of the lens while the shutter is open, therefore you will need a zoom lens for this to work properly. A slow shutter speed of 1-4seconds is needed to capture the abstract visual affect and an ISO setting of 100-200 would work best with an aperture of F22. The key is to focus on your subject, release the shut and zoom out just before the shutter closes again; because a slow shutter speed is needed a tripod is an essential piece of equipment here. You can use a shutter release or self timer on the camera if you wish. These images didn't work very well; the first image of one of my film cameras was shot from floor level in order to steady the camera and to get a close up view of the subject. If I took this image again, I would place the camera (subject) higher up, perhaps on a table, I would then be able to mount my camera on a tripod and get the same composition but a much better 'zooming' effect. The second image was shot whilst I was in London, unfortunately I didn't have my tripod with me, I tried it out anyway just to see what results i could get whilst hand holding my camera. Next time I will take my tripod with me.

This technique is a good example for showing the relationship between ISO, shutter speed and aperture. Needing a wider aperture of F22 means the subject and background are in focus but less light is getting into the camera, the lower ISO and slow shutter speed counteracts the wider aperture.

Thursday, 16 October 2014

Painting with light

This was my first attempt at light painting. For this series of images a fellow student helped me; I wanted to get a shot of the darkroom to use in my sketchbook for my darkroom work. My aim was to get an image of the darkroom lit up using the painting with light technique.

I positioned the camera (mounted on a tripod) at an angle facing towards the developing area as this was the key element i wanted to capture in my shots. Myself and Lisa worked together in setting the aperture and shutter speed, i then stood to the side of the shot and a used an LED torch to paint the light around the room slowly; using a long exposure allowed the time needed to create a soft flowing movement, enhancing the softness of the light. I changed my position until no flare from the torch could be seen in the final images. I then changed my focus and aimed to just light up the area with the developing trays, rather than the whole room; i hoped this would create a darker area with plenty of shadows to create a more in depth and atmospheric outcome.

I am happy with these final images, mostly because they were my first attempt at using this fantastic technique. All of the images are sharp and lit up well. I especially like the starry affect on the taps in the 2nd and 3rd images.

If i was to shoot this set up again, i would choose to use a wider angle as to get more of the room in the frame. I would then use the same technique to paint up only the developing area; i feel this would add more depth with a higher density of shadows, creating more impact and drama. I would also use this technique to photograph one of the enlargers to include in my sketchbook, this would supply me with a visual aid to tie in with my explanations of the darkroom and all it's wonderful equipment used in the realms of black & white printing.

Overall i will definitely use this technique in the future. Experimenting in photography is so much fun and can really help you along your journey, by discovering ways in which you can communicate your thoughts and ideas, while increasing your technical skills and adding more creativity to your palette.