74 MA XIMUMPC DECEMBER 2004
(c ontinued from previous page)
abilities, grab some small objects (like
gummy bears or green army men) and
place them in a 1- to 2-foot area on a
well-lit tabletop, and try capturing your
subjects using different settings. Be as
creative, messy, or creatively messy as
you want—it’s your picture.2 ) GO WIDE FOR NARROW FOCUS
To isolate one object from many, set a
wide aperture. Objects that are some
distance in front of and behind your focal
point should appear slightly blurred—
again, depending on the lens in your
camera, your mileage may vary.
Set your camera to Aperture Priority
(flip the dial to A or Av). In this mode,
the camera automatically sets a compat-
ible shutter speed for your aperture and
subject. Get up close to your composition
and angle the camera so you’re capturing
a range of objects in your frame. Then
set your camera to its widest aperture
(the smallest number available, such as
f-2.4—view this in the viewfinder or LCD).
Focus on one object in the center of your
frame, press the shutter-release halfway
to lock the focus and exposure, and then
press down fully to take the picture. (We
shot this at f-2.8.)Place several objects at
different distances from
the camera, so you can
see how your camera’s
aperture setting affects
the depth of field.3 ) GO NARROW FOR WIDE FOCUS
To create an image that shows all or most objects
in sharp focus, use a narrow aperture. Frame your
composition the same as in Step 2 and set your
camera’s aperture to f-8.0 or higher. Focus on the
same center object, press the shutter-release half-
way, and then press it fully. (We shot this at f-18.)
To see what changes in the depth of field look
like, shoot at a variety of aperture sizes, making sure
to frame the composition identically in each snap.
When finished, download your pics to your PC and
take a look at your images to see how your settings
affected the range of focus. Then apply what you
learned in your own portraits and still life images.If you want a greater depth of field, close
your aperture as much as possible.4
How-to
By opening your aperture all the way, you can create a very narrow depth of field,
and focus in on a thin slice of a scene.