How can you create minimalist photos using focus and depth of field?
Minimalism is a style of photography that emphasizes simplicity, clarity, and elegance. By using focus and depth of field, you can create minimalist photos that draw attention to your subject and eliminate distractions. In this article, you will learn how to use these techniques to create stunning minimalist photos.
Focus is the sharpness of your subject in relation to the rest of the image. Depth of field is the range of distance in front of and behind your subject that is also in focus. A shallow depth of field means that only a small area is in focus, while a large depth of field means that most of the scene is in focus. You can control the depth of field by adjusting the aperture, the distance to your subject, and the focal length of your lens.
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The closer you are to your subject, the smaller the depth of field will be. It then goes to what aperture you use at that distance. Depth of field usually starts at the point of focus and goes back in the frame a certain amount. On most camera you can have the focus area show with zebra stripes or red lines, which can help a lot.
Focus and depth of field can help you create minimalist photos by isolating your subject from the background and foreground. This way, you can emphasize the shape, color, texture, or contrast of your subject and create a strong visual impact. By blurring out the irrelevant details, you can also create a sense of negative space, which is the empty area around your subject that adds balance and harmony to your composition.
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You want viewers to focus on a certain area of your photos. As a headshot photographer, I want viewers to focus on the subjects eyes. I use spot metering and put the dot on a person’s eyes and usually am at 93 mm focal length and f4. This allows the eyes to be tack sharp with a fall off focus. This will help keep to viewers attention where it belongs, on expression.
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Using a shallow depth of field helps the viewer focus (see what I did there ;) on the subject, while the background becomes a pleasant frame made of colour and light, but with no strong texture or specific features that can distract. The eye goes straight to the part that is in focus, usually the subject's eyes, and the attention is immediately grabbed.
Aperture is the opening in your lens that controls how much light enters your camera. It is measured in f-stops, such as f/2.8, f/4, f/8, etc. The lower the f-stop, the larger the aperture, and the shallower the depth of field. The higher the f-stop, the smaller the aperture, and the larger the depth of field. To create minimalist photos with focus and depth of field, you can use a low f-stop to create a shallow depth of field that blurs out the background and foreground and makes your subject stand out.
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It's not just the aperture that defines your depth of field, but the distance from the subject as well. If you're very close and focus on the eyes using a very low f-stop like f1.8 or f2, you will see that your subject's ears will be out of focus. If you use the same f-stop from a distance, the whole face will be in focus, and possibly also a bit in front and behind the subject. So, the combination of your lenses' focal length, distance and f-stop is what will determine the depth of field you are trying to achieve.
Distance is another factor that affects the depth of field. The closer you are to your subject, the shallower the depth of field. The farther you are from your subject, the larger the depth of field. To create minimalist photos with focus and depth of field, you can get closer to your subject and use a low f-stop to create a shallow depth of field that isolates your subject from the rest of the scene. Alternatively, you can also use a large depth of field to create a minimalist photo by placing your subject far away from the background and foreground and using a simple or uniform backdrop.
Focal length is the distance between your lens and the sensor of your camera. It is measured in millimeters, such as 24mm, 50mm, 100mm, etc. The shorter the focal length, the wider the angle of view, and the larger the depth of field. The longer the focal length, the narrower the angle of view, and the shallower the depth of field. To create minimalist photos with focus and depth of field, you can use a long focal length to create a shallow depth of field that compresses the background and foreground and makes your subject pop. Alternatively, you can also use a short focal length to create a minimalist photo by capturing a wide and simple scene with your subject in the center.
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Minimalist photos are usually composed by isolating the subject, which can be a person or an object, using a shallow depth of field and normally a longer focal length. Another example of minimalism, though, can be found in architectural photography, where we would not use a shallow depth of field at all. On the contrary, we would use a shorter focal length to make sure all parts of the building, or the interior, are in sharp focus – and relying of composition to give that minimalist connotation. Simple lines, leading lines, geometrical shapes, clearly defined light and shadows, are all good elements to look out for when trying to create a minimalist architectural photo.
To practice minimalist photography with focus and depth of field, you can start by looking for simple and interesting subjects that catch your eye. They can be anything from a flower, a leaf, a building, a person, or an object. Then, you can experiment with different aperture settings, distances, and focal lengths to see how they affect the depth of field and the overall look of your photo. Try to eliminate any distracting elements from your frame and focus on the essence of your subject. You can also use light, color, contrast, and symmetry to enhance your minimalist photos.
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For headshots, I consider myself a modern minimalist. I don’t want viewers attention all over the place like on bright jewelry, distracting backgrounds, or loud patterns. I usually show on a solid color background at f4 and 93 mm focal length. This allows a beautiful falloff of focus, exposure, etc. I also try to have the person’s lead eye on the top right or left rule of thirds position. No distractions and allowing the headshot to make an impact!
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Understanding colour and light contrast is also very useful when aiming at minimalism in your photos. If your subject is light, or backlit, it's useful to have a darker background to make it "pop". If your subject has a colour, you can try to place it against a complementary background colour. If it's dark, it's going to stand out against a lighter colour. The use of colour and light is very effective when choosing a background for your subject, as even the most mundane locations can be used when we blur them enough not to be recognisable anymore. So streaks of light, reflected light, dark sharp shadows, can all be used quite effectively in minimalist photography.
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How to use composition for minimalist photography? Depth of field is not the only technqiue to achieve this. Selecting objects that are surrounded by a minimalist area can be captured by zooming in and avoding the clutter around it. Making this a long exposure to, for example, smooth out the water or blur the clouds, adds to the serene feeling.
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Jonathan Watson
Freelance Photographer and admirer of Creation I Retired Presbyterian (USA) Minister
Another way to accentuate the subject is to have separation between them and the background. Instead of placing the subject against the backdrop, try moving the subject closer to the camera. This way when you use a longer focal length and/or smaller aperture, the background will be nicely out of focus.
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