Image bank - Minimum depth of field

Depth of field (DOF), also called focus range or effective focus range, is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image.

This minimum depth of field photograph is extremely flawless with the clear porcelain model acting as the subject, allowing the intense blurred background to form. Her crisp curls convey that all of the focus is on her; the camera has been set at it's lowest aperture to enable this. It is unclear to see what the background specifically is, however this strong blur is effective in allowing there to be nothing but the model in the frame. The camera would have been zoomed in and directed rather close to her face in order for this minimum depth of field to form. The formal element colour dominates the rest in this photograph because the woman's bright white face is an excellent contrast with her dark hair and the variety of green tones in the distance.

I feel that this minimum depth of field photograph is a very interesting one. It has again been taken outdoors, which allows the green background to blur. I like the dark and shadow filled colours in this piece because it adds to the darkness of the cigarette; as it is an extremely negative habit that many people have. The shadows and contrasts in this piece match well with the item in the subjects hand. I also feel that the woman in her bikini in the foreground, and her friends in the background also in their swimwear conveys a sense of summer, and a sense of adventure. The green bushes suggests that they could be in a rain forest near a river, which would explain the wet and tanned look on the models body. Furthermore, by situating herself in the right side of the frame, this allows for more of the viewers focus to be on the people in the background, not just the model's; which allows the overall photograph to be a successful one as the whole frame has been used effectively.

The pink theme in this photograph is extremely cute. Everything in the frame is blurred except for the tiny cupcake near the bottom centre of the frame. The formal element shape and pattern is consistent in all of the objects in this piece, with the swirled icing on top of the cakes, the ridged cupcake cases, the dotted plates and the striped cutlery. It is a very simplistic photograph, and the minimum depth of field makes it that little bit more interesting. The frame isn't cluttered; it has been composed well and is inspiring for me when I'm deciding what types of food photography I want to take for my advertising project. It having one colour with a variety of different shades and tones was a clever idea and is something that completes this whole photograph brilliantly. 

This is one of my favourite minimum depth of field photographs. The contrast between the bright red and the lime green colours in this piece is truly eye catching. The colours have been constructed well here. It's bold and attractive, with a ladybird acting as the subject in the centre of the frame. The formal element reflection has been used effectively here, as there is a distorted one in the water beneath the insect. Everything situated around the ladybird has an intense blur, except for the slight crisp reflection. Like the other photographs above, having the focus be on the subject exaggerates the technique being used; a low aperture and being close up to the subject with a zoom. This is an extremely effective way to take a photograph not just on people and objects, but also tiny creatures like this one. 

This photograph is extremely interesting and creative. A glass has been centred in the middle of the frame in front of a building, and is distorting the building's shape through the water in the glass. The building is blurred in the background, however can be seen crystal clear in the glass which I find extremely clever. I'm not sure whether or not this has been photo shopped, however the concept behind this image and through the use of minimum depth of field, it is a very successful picture. The left part of the frame with the blue sky in it could have been cropped out in order to make each side symmetrical and of the same colour, however by the viewer seeing this blue sky they can tell it is real in the glass as well. 

Here is another nature piece of photography that has been taken with a low aperture, zoom and close to the subject. The bright yellow sunflower with the thin stem links with the blurred colours in the background. Like the tea cup photo, this image has stuck to a colour theme which completes it. The out of focus lights in the distance is a nice touch to the image because it adds to the detail and interesting composition. I'm liking these minimum depth of field photographs where the subject is placed on one side of the frame, rather than in the centre. Even though there isn't much going on in the background to look at, this picture as an overall piece is effective, bright and eye catching.