«

Hi All,

Can anyone advise how I can get a depth of field effect on my Olympus C400Z?
I've seen a few shots like this, I think they really look good on portrait
shots, really bring the eyes attention to the subject.

Thanks,
Simon.

PS: I'm a newbie, be gental!
PPS: I know this can be done in photo shop etc, i'd like to be able to
achieve the same results with just the cam.

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Select the widest aperature your camera has using aperature priority mode
(or manually if you can)

"Simon Harris" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Hi All,
>
> Can anyone advise how I can get a depth of field effect on my Olympus
C400Z?
> I've seen a few shots like this, I think they really look good on portrait
> shots, really bring the eyes attention to the subject.
>
> Thanks,
> Simon.
>
> PS: I'm a newbie, be gental!
> PPS: I know this can be done in photo shop etc, i'd like to be able to
> achieve the same results with just the cam.
>
> --
> -
> * Please reply to group for the benefit of all
> * Found the answer to your own question? Post it!
> * Get a useful reply to one of your posts?...post an answer to another one
> * Search first, post later : http://www.google.co.uk/groups
> * Want my email address? Ask me in a post...Cos2MuchSpamMakesUFat!
>
>

On Wed, 21 Jan 2004 22:22:50 -0000, "Simon Harris"
<> wrote:

>Hi All,
>
>Can anyone advise how I can get a depth of field effect on my Olympus C400Z?
>I've seen a few shots like this, I think they really look good on portrait
>shots, really bring the eyes attention to the subject.
>
>PS: I'm a newbie, be gental!
>PPS: I know this can be done in photo shop etc, i'd like to be able to
>achieve the same results with just the cam.

You will have only moderate success, because of the nature of the
small lens on the camera, but the following will give you the best
shot at it.

Set the aperture manually to fully open (small f-stop number = fully
open). Set the zoom to full telephoto (optical only - no digital
zoom). Move your subject away from the background you want to lose
focus on. Move yourself away from the subject until you have the
framing you want for the subject. You are using increased or
decreased distance from the subject to give you your framing, rather
than the zoom, as might do normally.

If your shutter speed is now at maximum (fastest speed) and you are
still over-exposed you might be able to set a lower (slower) ISO
speed. If this is not available on your camera you can use a neutral
density filter if you have one.

JJD

Go to aperture priority and set the lens for the widest opening. This will
be the minimum dof you can get. If it isn't thin enough, move closer to your
subject or have the subject move further from the background, or do a
combination of the two.

--
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home of The Camera-ist's Manifesto
The Improved Links Pages are at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/links/mlinks00.html
A sample chapter from my novel "Haight-Ashbury" is at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/writ/hait/hatitl.html
"Simon Harris" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Hi All,
>
> Can anyone advise how I can get a depth of field effect on my Olympus
C400Z?
> I've seen a few shots like this, I think they really look good on portrait
> shots, really bring the eyes attention to the subject.
>
> Thanks,
> Simon.
>
> PS: I'm a newbie, be gental!
> PPS: I know this can be done in photo shop etc, i'd like to be able to
> achieve the same results with just the cam.
>
> --
> -
> * Please reply to group for the benefit of all
> * Found the answer to your own question? Post it!
> * Get a useful reply to one of your posts?...post an answer to another one
> * Search first, post later : http://www.google.co.uk/groups
> * Want my email address? Ask me in a post...Cos2MuchSpamMakesUFat!
>
>

Thanks v.much for the replies - I'll give it a go tommorow!

Simon.


"Simon Harris" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Hi All,
>
> Can anyone advise how I can get a depth of field effect on my Olympus
C400Z?
> I've seen a few shots like this, I think they really look good on portrait
> shots, really bring the eyes attention to the subject.
>
> Thanks,
> Simon.
>
> PS: I'm a newbie, be gental!
> PPS: I know this can be done in photo shop etc, i'd like to be able to
> achieve the same results with just the cam.
>
> --
> -
> * Please reply to group for the benefit of all
> * Found the answer to your own question? Post it!
> * Get a useful reply to one of your posts?...post an answer to another one
> * Search first, post later : http://www.google.co.uk/groups
> * Want my email address? Ask me in a post...Cos2MuchSpamMakesUFat!
>
>

"Simon Harris" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Hi All,
>
> Can anyone advise how I can get a depth of field effect on my Olympus
C400Z?
> I've seen a few shots like this, I think they really look good on portrait
> shots, really bring the eyes attention to the subject.
>
> Thanks,
> Simon.
>
> PS: I'm a newbie, be gental!
> PPS: I know this can be done in photo shop etc, i'd like to be able to
> achieve the same results with just the cam.

Great difficulty.

Shallow DOF is a leisure only those with large sensor'd cameras enjoy. Or
film cameras, of course. Not to give a full lecture on DOF, but it is
primarily to do with the focal length of the lens used- a large sensor
camera requires longer focal length lenses to get the same field of view as
the equivalent on a small sensor camera. Longer focal length lenses have
less depth of field at wide apertures than short focal length lenses as the
same aperture. For the average snapper, this gives small sensor cameras an
advantage (focus becomes less critical).

The best you can hope for is to zoom in as far as your optical zoom allows,
use A(perture priority) mode if you have it and open to the widest (smallest
number) aperture, or use Portrait program mode (again, if you have it).

--
Here lies the late Martin Francis
He couldn't tell you the technical merits of Leitz and Zeiss
But he did take some photographs once.

Depth of field effects can also be simulated in editing with most good
software packages. Select the subject, reverse the selection, and
select a blur function.

WoZ wrote:
>
> Select the widest aperature your camera has using aperature priority mode
> (or manually if you can)
>
> "Simon Harris" <> wrote in message
> news:...
> > Hi All,
> >
> > Can anyone advise how I can get a depth of field effect on my Olympus
> C400Z?
> > I've seen a few shots like this, I think they really look good on portrait
> > shots, really bring the eyes attention to the subject.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Simon.
> >
> > PS: I'm a newbie, be gental!
> > PPS: I know this can be done in photo shop etc, i'd like to be able to
> > achieve the same results with just the cam.
> >
> > --
> > -
> > * Please reply to group for the benefit of all
> > * Found the answer to your own question? Post it!
> > * Get a useful reply to one of your posts?...post an answer to another one
> > * Search first, post later : http://www.google.co.uk/groups
> > * Want my email address? Ask me in a post...Cos2MuchSpamMakesUFat!
> >
> >

--
Don Stauffer in Minnesota

webpage- http://www.usfamily.net/web/stauffer

On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 08:51:59 -0600, Don Stauffer
<> wrote:

>Depth of field effects can also be simulated in editing with most good
>software packages. Select the subject, reverse the selection, and
>select a blur function.
>
A little more work can produce a more realistic result. Copy and
paste the picture on top of itself in the original layer. Apply the
level of blur you want to the background layer. Use a large,
feather-edged eraser to remove the bulk of the focussed top copy,
revealing the unfocussed version underneath. Use a very fine
feather-edged eraser around the subject (with it enlarged for
accuracy).

The fine, feathered cut around the subject allows just a little edge
softness, so that the subject does not appear too "cut out" from the
background. The use of an entire picture copy/paste and a large
feathered eraser allows you to ease the subject's surroundings back
into focus when they are in the same plane as the subject ( usually
the ground they are standing on requires this). In some cases it is
possible to use a graduated blur on the background copy, for a more
natural fall off of focus.

There will be many other favourite methods and variations, I'm sure.

JJD

Hmmm....I just tried and ended up with the opposite of what I wanted!

Background focused, forground subject blurred....I guess this is just down
to the sample arae that the cam uses to focus???

On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 19:54:55 -0000, "Simon Harris"
<> wrote:

>Hmmm....I just tried and ended up with the opposite of what I wanted!
>
>Background focused, forground subject blurred....I guess this is just down
>to the sample arae that the cam uses to focus???
>
Aim the camera at the subject, half-press the shutter button and hold,
then reframe the picture and fully press the shutter.

JJD