Chapter 5 Assignments
Depth of field in portraits
Let’s start with something simple. Grab your favorite person and start experimenting with using different aperture settings. Shoot wide open (the widest your lens goes, such as f/2.8 or f/4), and then really stopped down (like f/22). Look at the difference in the depth of field, and notice the important role it plays in placing the attention on your subject. (Make sure your subject isn’t standing directly against the background. Give some distance so that there is a good blurring effect of the background at the wide f-stop setting.)
Discovering the qualities of natural light
Pick a nice sunny day and try shooting some portraits in the midday sun. If your subject is willing, have them turn so the sun is in their face. If they are still speaking to you after blinding them, ask them to turn their back to the sun. Finally, move them into a completely shaded spot and take a few more.
Picking the right metering method
Find a very dark or very light background and place your subject in front of it. Now take a couple of shots, giving a lot of space around your subject for the background to show. Now switch metering modes and use the AE Lock feature to get a more accurate reading of your subject. Notice the difference in exposure between the metering methods.
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