The SHALLOW Depth of Field TRAP
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- Опубликовано: 21 сен 2024
- The SHALLOW Depth of Field TRAP
6 ESSENTIAL TIPS for BETTER PHOTOS
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A shallow depth of field is an easy way to immediately set your images apart from phone snapshots and smaller, cheaper cameras. but if you always default to shooting wide open, you deny yourself the opportunity to develop some really key compositional skills.
Thoughtful attention to the adjustment of your depth of field is essential, as it plays a direct role in shaping the visual impact and storytelling elements within an image. Considerate manipulation of depth of field allows you to influence and craft both the narrative and aesthetics of your photography.
This video contains 6 essential tips for getting better depth of field in your photos. I look at the work of Alex Webb to see what we can learn from his amazing work.
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Learned more in 17 minutes than in the last dozen photography videos I have looked at. Bravo.
Literally just said this exact same thing to my wife at the end of the video!
@@seanyessmanncoaching4056Literally just said this to my wife 1 hr ago. Jamie is a treasure! I stumbled on this video today completely by chance and I am hooked! Hope you are feeling better Jamie, I am completely confident that you are creative one way or the other...
So glad to see more from you again, Jamie. Wishing you healing, positivity, and strength.
“Be intentional”… after 18 years as a photographer, I stopped using zoom lenses. We have become lazy sometimes just zooming into people and objects. I switched to only using 35 and 85mm primes now. It forces me to move and I have found that I get more interesting angles and started to appreciate compositions. It has actually make me love photography again.
To be fair, zooming and changing the distance to the subject with a fixed focal length lens are two separate things giving different results. You can change the distance also with a zoom lens, but cannot zoom with a fixed lens (other than crop).
I like primes primarily because they make me take better photos (as I'm forced to visualise more). 35 and 85 are a magic combination. That's my pairing of choice too.
@@babaarcuszatir The point I'm trying to make is that using zoom lenses can sometimes result in tunnel vision, similar to a sniper waiting for the perfect shot. At events, for instance, you might find yourself stationed at the back with a 70-200 lens, potentially missing other opportunities. I've noticed that when I use prime lenses, I'm more proactive in scouting the surroundings, even beyond the viewfinder. This approach makes me work harder to be intentional, leading to more creative compositions. While it's possible to achieve this with zoom lenses as well, I find that primes change my mental approach to photography.
This is fine for a leisurely and narrow (ouch!} approach to photography. Great if it works for you. Many of us in many situations, do not have the luxury of working with just 2 focal lengths and simply walking up to your subject to get closer
This doesn't work for public music and performance events or for sport, or shooting boats from the shore or air shows, or weddings from a fixed position or anything really that requires specific shots from an unalterable distance. Even when you can move, zoom lenses are not evil. Different focal lengths have different characteristics. Choose the perspective you want THEN move to the ideal position. The creative opportunities of wide angle or telephoto lenses shouldn't be dismissed
Restricting yourself to only two perspectives doesn't give you freedom, it just restricts all your photographs to only two angles of view. The one advantage of primes of course are larger apertures and finer control of depth of field.
@@desohare8683 I appreciate your perspective on the practical versatility of zoom lenses, especially in constrained shooting environments like sports or events. I am very aware of that. I also shoot wildlife and event photography. My point about "being intentional" with prime lenses is less about dismissing zooms and more about rediscovering a personal connection to the craft of photography. Using primes challenges me to engage more deeply with the environment, moving physically to find the best shot rather than adjusting the zoom. This approach has reinvigorated my passion for photography by pushing creative boundaries, even if it's not always the most practical choice in every situation. Each lens type has its strengths, and choosing one over the other can shift not just our techniques, but also our artistic vision.
I was a photojournalist between 1999 and 2012. Now I am half way through the video and suddenly my favourite youtuber talks about my favourite living photographer. BLISS.
Welcome back Jamie!
There’s no one better on YT with the production value, clarity, and the substance, than your work. Can’t thank you enough, on behalf of all photographers.
I love how the images are edited to visualize the content. Well done. Thanks.
Bokeh is the laziest way to direct a viewers attention. And I’m as guilty as the next one. But when you look at the great photographs of the past, what made them great, was the whole scene and not some 1.2 blur. Okay - I had to get that out of the way - back to the video :)!
True. Though people had to be more thoughtful and creative with their composition pre-digital age, because film wasn't cheap. So people really had to weigh out what was worth shooting or not.
Well said I’m not a fan of bokeh at all. I’m a big fan of Jamie Windsor you are top of the top as far as RUclips photography teachers.
Love your vids 👍
Hi Jamie! So happy to see you back! Thanks for this great content, as always! The way you drove me through different ideas while watching your video is great! Thanks so much for your creativity and for being that helpful!! 🙌
I totally agree with this statement, especially since I have been guilty of doing it, too.
I appreciate how carefully you produced this video - the graphics, transitions, timing, and your delivery are all beautifully done. Not to mention your intelligent content. You make RUclips look good.
When I first got The Suffering of Light my mind was truly blown. "How did he manage to get these shots?!?" I'm a huge fan of letting dark areas fall to blackness and I love his color choices. I can only hope to take a Webb-ish photo one day. :)
So glad to see you back, Jamie! I hope you're feeling better. You make RUclips a better place with your work.
His work is really amazing, isn't it?
I can’t imagine how his brain works. So much going on at once in his photos and it all works. They’re often like puzzles.
@@mgscheue Use a wider lens, you will notice that a lot of the subjects just fall right in to place on their own. And also when you see an interesting subject, you can almost place him anywhere you want and he will make the photograph stand out.
Also try to look for the areas where the light devides the potential field of view in different lit zones, then just wait for the subjects to pass by that area.
Of course it takes hundreds of attempts to get that right image. We also only see the best shoots, he probably had hundeds of film rolls just to get couple of those high quality images
@@S3l3ct1ve All excellent ideas. And I did recently see an interview with him where he said he does shoot a lot.
The GOAT of photography videos on youtube
Him and Sean Tucker may I add.
I think Pat Kay does a great job explaining different compositions and visual patterns. Definitely worth checking out if you like this type of video.
A Jamie Windsor vid always brightens my day! Love the tips :D
Christmas came early this year: new videos from Jamie Windsor!!!!!!!
In my opinion grids are overused in the analysis here. They can be a fantastic way to focus your compositional by intention but some of the grids superimposed onto the images shown in this video seem tenuous. Anyway, I greatly appreciate any kind of analysis, even if it is tenuous, because analysis always forces you to think about things. The fact I can have an opinion on whether it’s tenuous or not, in itself this is an interesting talking point. It’s a great video you made.
And the fact you made me look up tenuous 🤔😊
tenuous use of "tenuous" here imo
I generally feel this way about grids too, but I see their purpose when giving advice aimed at all experience levels. Explaining composition using grids is probably much clearer for people who have no idea where to start with it! Some have a good 'natural' eye for it, gained through experience and time without too much concern about rules, others really don't have an instinct and need to be led to the idea. Even with my dislike of grids I have found them useful sometimes when struggling to get a satisfying composition, no matter how loosely they may adhere to any imaginary lines in the end.
It is an interesting point about essay writing generally though, as it does feel a tangential subject to the main focus (heh) of the video. For example I wonder if many really go straight to a fancy bokeh capable lens without being aware of fundamental composition concepts, but instead just need a reminder that they may be neglecting the continued practice of those skills from an over reliance on blur. But overall it felt to me that the video was in all a nice overview on how thinking critically about composition and focus can improve photography, bring individual creative voice to an image, while also providing the foundational technical information needed to achieve that.
Many thanks once more Jaimie- your tutorials are so clear, concise and above all inspiring. I always want to run out with my camera immediately after watching one of your lessons.
This has got to be one of, if not THE best photography channels on RUclips. I love the depth and intentional thought of the videos. Thank you for creating this space, Jamie.
Glad to be back, Jamie 👍
Still don't understand why your videos don't have milions of views 🤔
The details in your videos are just stunning ❤
cause people want quick and simple.
Your videos are always so delightful to watch. Glad you’re posting and hope all is well!
Thank you for showing me Alex Webb. What incredible photos.
First class video. Someone who understands how to use DoF, rather than just the technicalities of it.
That differentiates the camera buffs from a visual artist.
I'm glad I discovered this channel. Most others focus on the technology and the physics of photography and the "getting that jaw dropping shot". This channel is refreshing in how it explores the art of it all.
A Jamie Windsor video is always a special treat! I can’t say that I enjoy Webb’s work. I admire it, though.
We all have our different tastes and it makes the world more interesting.
@@jamiewindsor Yes, of course, Jamie. I think it's more in the sense that he doesn't do much for me emotionally. His craft is astonishing. To be able to organize so many elements in a harmonious way is incredibly challenging. He is unique. Love your channel. I hope you are doing well!
Genuinely interesting and inspiring, without being pretentious. Great stuff.
Wow. It's been a long time, Jamie. Hope you're well, or at least some semblance of well. At any rate, it's heart-warming to hear and see you talk in your nuanced and spot-on way about photography and art again. Presented with carefully selected examples and translated into tasteful and engaging video. It's not least the things that matter to us that help to sustain us.
The amount of work that went into this video is astounding. The examples of composition overlaid with grids and dialogue was very helpful. I just want to genuinely thank you for such great work. I love to learn and your examples, thoroughness, and the level of love of art you demonstrate are outstanding. Thank you kindly.
the 'position' text animation at 14:36 is so good
Animations in Jamie's videos are one of his distinctive identity signs, and, along with his excellent taste for graphic design, probably what make his videos stand so much apart from the crowd. I love his aesthetics. Great to see you back Mr. Windsord
Also noting the great use of sfx to support the animations
What makes my heart flutter is another Jamie Windsor video!
You make a few but quality content!
That opening lineup 🤤🤤🤤
I still love those older EF lenses.
Welcome back, i was so happy when i saw this video pop up! :) Hope your doing well. Thank you for another great video.
Ok, this explained things in ways I've never considered or managed to understand before. Literally got my creative juices excited over what's next, how to play with it and what can be learned. Love it!
I love your style of video and you have a really engaging delivery approach. The content is spot on too! Thanks Jamie
Thank you, Jamie. I bumped into your channel accidentally. That was a brilliant video and I can see that a lot of thought had gone into making it. I had not come across the work of Alex Webb before; I am a great admirer of Martin Parr's work. He published a book some years ago where all images were shot with a 28mm (?) lens and he got really close to his subjects. Thank you again.
wrt tip 2, understanding hyperfocal distance was the key for me. Once you understand how that works and how to quickly and intuitively estimate it (because you won't always have time to calculate it) it becomes much easier to manage scene focus.
I learned a lot of my more advanced photographic skills working with a 4x5 view camera, and I still have a full collection of tilt-shift lenses for my full-frame digital system. Having tilts and shifts at my disposal allows me to manipulate both composition and focus in ways that wouldn't otherwise be possible. Of course it also makes the sort of dynamic photography that Webb does impractical.
Yes Jamie is back ! The care you put into your videos and the content are missed around here.
I'm so glad you're back. Hope everything goes well
Glad you're back.
Every time I watch one of your videos I feel inspired and want to start creating something immediately.
Thank you!
Ever thought about the idea that there are more ways to "create" than shooting pictures?
@@BernhardSchwarz-xs8kp yes, of course, that's why I wrote "creating" and not "taking pictures." Jamie's videos inspire me to be creative in any field I know and not just photography.
Also I really like his editing style as well as his tasteful animations.
There is always a lot to see and learn for me.
Good to have you back Jamie!
One thing that I think every photographer misses, overlooks or under appreciates at some point is the element of luck. Alex Webb is a phenomenal photographer, I am also a big fan. But in a couple of interviews I have seen with him, even he admits that, although ALL of the techniques you mention in the video are paramount and used by him for all the photographs he shows, seeing the moment and understanding in a split second to take the shot is just as important. A lot of his images, taken 2-3 seconds before or after just wouldn’t work in the same way. Having the eye to see the potential in a shot, seeing the vision, setting the camera for that vision and having the patience and idea to get the shot is all very well. But if the elements just don’t fall into place, then all that technique, vision, idea and foresight just is not useful at all. Luck is a huge part of this and his kind of photography. Being a wedding photographer myself (and many others will agree), will always say there is that one wedding where nothing happens. And it’s true. The same can be said of many other situations. That’s not an excuse to be a bad photographer, it’s the reality of the art we love and adore.
Excellent video as always Jamie! Keep up the good work!
Great deep dive into the topic Jamie. Some of my favourite portraits are wider, deep focus images, precisely because of the context and storytelling they provide. I often feel I gain as much insight from the environment as I do from the subject in these images.
Return of The King. 🙏🏾
Your content is absolutely the best, keep up the great work, thank you
Not only are these helpful photography tips, I think your filmmaking and storytelling style is really beautifully dialed in here as well. ☺️ The way you left the natural pauses in your conversation hi-lights some unique part of your speaking pattern that really kept me engaged all the way though. It elevates the feeling, from a viewers perspective, like what you are saying is really important. Thanks for sharing this!
A very good insight; when someone says it, it becomes much more clear to mind.
Brilliant video Jamie - really informative but, as with all of you work, the quality of the video makes it a real pleasurer to watch. So glad that you are able post it. Hope that you are well. Thank you.
Thank you
The quality of your posts is top tier. So glad to see you continue. Thank you.
The way you presented these concepts was perfect! Excellent video, as usual!
So many of us need to watch this - especially newcomers. I've been shooting commercial cinematography for 20yrs and still found value here. None of us know everything!
This guy Webb is good! And love Windsor's glasses: straight out of Dilbert! Many great points in this video -not just about shallow depth of field. Thank You ...
This video is a masterpiece in itself! Informative, well structured, beautifully executed! And with a calmness and “no rush” feeling to it. just wanted to see every second. Looking forward browsing through all the other videos on this channel! Thanks ☺️
Finally! A video about photography and not gear! Masterfully done! Bravo
From one Jamie to another. Nice to see a post like this. People really do often overuse it. I have been taking portraits for years and I have learned to use shallow DOF sparingly. To my eyes it can be really dull and predictable. It also slows down the consumerist engine where people think they have to spend thousands and thousands on ''pro'' fast lenses just to fit in. Now that iphones have computational shallow DOF, I hope the obsession will wane.
Great to see you back, Jamie, and I hope you're fighting fit. Love your use of motion graphics to illustrate concepts- and of course the way you deliver philosophical aspects of the art. Cheers!
I like the way you select a photographer to illustrate the veideo's theme. Nice to have you back! Thanks for one more freat video!
Excellent video. They always deserve 'full screening' when I watch them.
Holy carp! How much work have you put into this video??!? One of the best videos I’ve ever seen on composition. Instant subscribe!
First-time visitor here and wow! I learned so much and I wasn’t even looking for photography tips 😮 I’ll definitely come back for more
The grid explanation was very good!
This was so calm, enlightening, and well-made. Thank you
Another fantastic thought provoking video Jamie. Part of my reason to jump upto full frame, is that I love the ethereal feel to street portraits, shot at
I don't know what you did to the YT algorithm but this video has been in my recommended every day for the past 2 weeks and I've finally been bullied into watching it
Jamie is one of the very few best teachers on YT. IMO, he's at the very top of Photography education with Sean Tucker of UK and Simon D'entremont of Nova Scotia, CA.
Shoot any sort of landscape scene and you have to bring the scene into foucs with narrower aperture. It does make the shot more challenging because you have no choice but to consider the full composition. When i shoot portraits or sports, i find it much easier because you don't have to worry about the background as much and can blur it as much as possible. With sports shutter speed overrides all else usually.
Great video!
Really amazing stuff. I do a lot with studio strobes in controlled environments, so images like these examples seem like they’re written in another language. I grasped the technological side of photography right away, but the artistic side is something I still struggle with. I’m never done learning though, that’s what keeps me hooked!
Incredibly helpful too is the focusing scale on manual lenses. In some cases you can even extend focus more to the front. I guess you know the trick.
I've been shooting (editorial and commercial jobs) since 2000. Back then there was a push to have more selective focus--especially for food and still life. While some clients these days seem comfortable with selective focus, I'd say 85% or so want EVERYTHING in focus...thank god for Helicon Focus. The deep focus issue has become so ingrained in me that I have to remember to try
selective focus while shooting. And back in the film days I shot 4x5 film so I was pretty addicted to shallow depth of field imagery.
Thank you so much for your content, for sharing your knowledge with us. This video will not only make me look different to the world, but now I understand how to look at photographers work with more insight and appreciation!
Best video on the depth of field topic seen so far!
Alex Webb is incredible. Was lucky enough to meet him and his wife for their Brooklyn book release. He’s a true master and how many amazing photographs he has is really hard to comprehend.
I’m a videographers but this video is super useful! There a definite sub for this channel! I’ve been looking how to improve my shots, I am tired of shooting 1.4 and even just using the standard grid that comes in every camera
Fantastic and pithy as usual. I rent a super wide 2/8 to shoot an event every year and I do get stuck making shallow focus photos. I will work to expand the envelope and perhaps, that wide angle is there to include and see more, so don't blur it away.
thanks for making this video. its something that needed to be said, and you articulated the point very well.
Camera and lens technogy has made it very easy to become a photographer. Blindingly fast and accurate autofocus. High dynamic range, clean image sensors with stabilisation that can perform in low light. Frame rates faster than video. Ridiculous resolution allowing for extreme cropping. EVFs that show you your image in realtime before you press the shutter. Fast sharp zoom lenses that are excellent throughout their entire focal range. Editing software that gives you unparalleled control and manipulation over your images. Yet despite all these advantages I've not seen any ground breaking images that couldn't be done on film or with an older digital camera with the right lens and talent. A lot of the craftsmanship has been taken out of the art, and we have lost something with that. Shooting with a deeper depth of field, or using film, or using a camera without all the bells and whistles gets you back closer to whst photography is. Understanding light and how to capture it in order to tell a story or evoke an emotion. Great video.
I recently came across a video on reddit of a fashion film where the filmmaker used a m43 camera with a vintage mamiya lens and it looked like a technicolor dream where with a deep focus the crowded background was as much a part of the imagery as the characters. This guy made the subject standout purely through composition and colors. It had an overwhelming response on his insta page but then I came across a comment on reddit where a guy “points out his failure” of not being able to create a shallow depth of field and introduces the concept of an ND so that he could correct the error 😂 The filmmaker was sweet enough to not mind it at all but it made me think how synthetically we sometimes approach what is pure art. This video is such a positive and inspiring piece for me after coming across something like that coz you cant help but think if it isnt rubbing off on you being surrounded by such approach all the time. Thank you for this
What a fantastic video Jamie. I do love your insight as you get me to look at my photography in a very different and thoughtful way.
As someone you mostly shoots landscape architecture for the vast majority of my pictures depth of field isn't something I need to worry about. Just close the aperture down and have everything in focus but in some cases its really interesting to play with it a bit and control the whats the main subject of the picture is.
Your videos are quality over quantity! Rare on RUclips these days.
Excellent video as always. I've been shooting for over ten years and I always learn something from your videos. I'm not super into thin DOF but it was great to get a better model of thinking about why and when to choose different DOFs.
Your story telling is of another level! And so much to learn. Good to see you back.
YESSSSSS What a Friday gift :) thanks Jamie I've missed your stuff on here
Once I got into the habit of shooting f5.6 and higher, I started to have a lot of fun with the freedom of thinking more about composition than focus. It really makes a difference in your perspective.
Thank you for showing how to break out of the self imposed boundaries of shallow depth of field by providing clear and concise guidelines for doing so or to courage necessary to embark on this path intuitively.
One word: brilliant. Thank you 😀
The Alex Webb work, causes an energy and discomfort. You can’t help but skim your eyes around the entire image. Your video is brilliant. Thank you.
Great video, as always, Jamie. Lovely to see you back, and looking well. Appreciate that the video is aimed at both beginners and advanced photographers. Finally, i don't think most people realize how much work goes into this style of video especially editing.
Thank you. They do take me a long time. I get a bit too obsessive about details to be fair.
@@jamiewindsor and it more than shows in the quality of the videos and how well the narrative and the story you are telling flows. ❤️❤️
Thank you so much Jamie for this master class. Your videos have been very helpful to me, specially now that I'm taking my photography journey more "serious". I hope you keep sharing your thoughts and knowledge on RUclips cause I do really enjoy and learn from them. Saludos from Mexico :)
Great stuff. To be fair I'm already on board the DoF ideas, but really enjoyed your excellent illustration and analysis using Webb's work. A favourite photographer of mine. And I really appreciate the amount of work which will have gone into making this. Good to see so many others getting value from it. 😊👍
Phenomenal video. Thank you for the clarity!
I've gone back to this again, enjoying it more the second time, Mr. Windsor.
Sir, you are a God send to this craft. Thank you for you advice and for sharing such critical visual theory
Haha a beautiful and extensive analysis of Webb's visual language disguised as a basic video on aperture. Brilliant as always! I had not seen some of the images and they floored me.
As I was researching beyond my Alex Webb books, I just seemed to find an endless trove of amazing images. He seems to have the ability to just keep churning out amazing shot after amazing shot.
@@jamiewindsor so many would be any other photographer’s best capture. Constantly finding the most elegant split-seconds in a busy scene.
Do we know how ‘repetitive’ his contact sheets are, generally speaking?
When I started shooting film, my mom’s advice that she previously got was “f8 and be there”. I also love how my old manual focus lenses provided distance ranges for each aperture directly on the lens.
Thanks Jamie. Thoughtful and considered advice as always. I think you are bang on about the habits that we often fall into, so slowing down and trying something different seems essential to exploring new visual worlds.😎
Thank you for articulating this so efficiently! I really like shooting street photography in medium format, and capturing a vast amount of details in the composition. I'm quite bugged also when cinema and TV rely on the overuse of close-ups and shallow DOF when shooting dialogs, too lazy when wider shots with deeper focus can so much enrich a plain scene.
So glad to have another great video of yours in my feed. You were missed, Jamie! The quality of your videos is unmatched.
This video is amazing, Jamie! You're consistently one of my top inspirations as an artist. Absolutely loved how you explained depth of field!
Premium quality in every sense. Always love your videos.
This whole subject is one that I'm sure has cost a lot of photographers a heap of cash because they got convinced that are not real photographers unless they have the fast glass and glue it wide open "like the pros".
When I bought my Pentax 67 off this guy on eBay, he sent me a message telling me I'd need to buy some ND filters for it as I must only shoot the lens wide open at f/2.4 (very wide aperture for a medium format). He said that there is no point in shooting the camera at any other aperture. What a weird thing to say.
@@jamiewindsor at the aperture ring wouldn't have been worn out!😄
The master of script, editing and narrative!
3:30 Thank you for these visuals. Super helpful. Great video!
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I have watched so many videos in an attempt to improve my photography and this video has inspired me. Thank you.
Thank you for delivering this content - it’s just in time to reevaluate why I have an interest in photography, relearning the basics 😎
I always loved the portrait photography in the NatGeos issues of my childhood - shot in real film, with a lot of context around the subjects. Thinking about it now, I realize that what made those pictures so great was their use of natural lighting and composition without cheating to beautify by using very shallow depth of field.
This is so helpful to me as a beginner photographer! Guess I'll have a new RUclipsr to binge watch.
Thanks for creating this video and sharing, I enjoyed watching it