Re: [Leica] WAS-Leica M and Cosina Digitals. NOW-DOF

["Dan Post" <dpost@triad.rr.com>]

Ted-
Amazing! The different answers I've gotten-however, I tend to favor your
technique- though when I did weddings, I always focused on the bridge of the
nose, figuring the DOF would keep both eyes in focus. So the Eyes have it-
the windows to the soul.

I must admit that I tend to put the depth of field on the 'back burner'
while I try to compose, adjust the exposure ( I tend to change the shutter
speed rather than the aperture- which is why I love the M7!) and keep from
tripping over my feet!

Anyway, thanks for your input! I am sort of an eclectic type- I use a Leica,
but love playing with the Minox, the Rollei TLRs, and my Crown Graphic, so I
end up with a lot of 'experimental' shots. Since I got the 21 Elmarit,
however, I find that I tend to use a wider lens more and more- when we took
an Alaska cruise, I found that the 35 Summicron was on the camera more than
anything else- so DoF was not much of an issue.
Moving toward the light-
Dan (It's too bad you can use the Scheimflug principle in a 35mm outfit!)
Post


- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ted Grant" <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2004 10:20 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] WAS-Leica M and Cosina Digitals. NOW-DOF


> Dan Post asked:
> NOW-DOF
> > BD-
> > When photographing people- what part of the face do you focus on- what
> part
> > is in the center of your DOF?<<<<
>
> It appears there are several posts attached, but I'll start with this one
of
> yours Dan.
>
> I'm not answering for B. D. but this is the way I shoot, have shot, and
> always done it.:-) It's a no brainer!
>
> On the EYES... period! When we're talking or listening to someone we don't
> look at their ears or any place else, unless maybe it's a female and she's
a
> comfortable 42 whatever. ;-) Then it's a guy thing and you peek quickly,
but
> stay focused on the EYES!! ;-) ( Sorry ladies I just had to say something
> stupid.)  ;-) No bad stuff intended. :-)
>
> And without any thought of depth of field because if the eyes are
absolutely
> sharp who cares what the rest of it looks like. That is unless you are a
nit
> picker and want to see the nose hairs sharp also. Obviously any concern
> about depth of field doesn't really matter if yer shooting a Noctilux at f
> 1.0, then you better have the eyes like razor blade edges. Never mind
where
> it goes from there.
>
> When I shoot portraits, not studio stuff, but by window light in the
office
> of a $1.5 million a year CEO or just an ordinary folk I still focus on the
> eyes and stop down just enough to keep the tip of the nose and eyes sharp.
> Anything in front or behind doesn't enter my concern.
>
> And I do some portrait things with a 400mm just to be different, sure puts
> the folks at ease cause yer so far away. ;-) But man it's so damn
effective
> in popping them off the print it's mind blowing. Oh yea and I try to shoot
> these wide open! 2.8 or 4.  Cool pictures. :-) Obviously these are shot
> outdoors preferably on slightly over cast or soft light days.
>
> This way you sort your work out from everybody else unless they're
shooting
> in similar fashion. And the only person I know at the moment who shoots
the
> same way, with a 400mm, is my son Scott and he blows me away with this
> technique all the time.
>
> >>what part is in the center of your DOF?<<<<
>
> I'd be more concerned about what part is in the centre of the frame and
what
> exactly am I focused on. Center of depth of field isn't something, nor has
> it ever been, a concern in any picture taking because the exact point of
> interest of the photograph is the sharpest point and that's the only thing
> you need to worry about. Everything else will fall into place where it's
> supposed to be.
>
> And for some reason, one wishes a depth of field from a few inches beyond
> the tip of your nose to the dark side of Mars, then it's simple: stop down
> to the smallest aperture and blast away using the hyperfocal scale. Or the
> depth of focus.
>
> Or wilder, use a 15mm lens stopped down and it's almost in focus from
behind
> you to the moon. ;-)
>
> > When you get down to it- how many of us really think about DOF while we
> are snapping away?<
>
> Never! Unless it's for a special shot where you want a great depth, then
the
> lens is set for max depth and away you go without thinking about it.  You
> see, too much thought about what's going on screws up more pictures than
if
> ones time is spent exposing film and getting on with it. :-) Without too
> much thought!
>
> ted
>
>
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>



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