The expression ‘Pictures say a thousand words’ was not started without reason. In today’s visually charged digital world of Pinterest and other photo sharing sites, visitors to the World Wide Web have come to expect a certain level of graphic images on the websites they visit. In WordPress, adding images is as simple as dragging and dropping them into the graphics box, making it very simple to quickly update a blog post, article or web page to be more engaging and exciting when the user arrives.
One of the most dynamic ways to add images is with the depth of field approach. This takes an image and focuses on an up close object, while slightly blurring the objects further away making it so that the depth of the image being photographed can be felt by anyone who views it later. This type of photography allows the visitor to feel as if they are almost inside of the picture and creates an illusion and excitement unlike any other type of photo on a website.
If you do not want your WordPress site to fall flat, use these photography tips to create your own depth of field on your next photograph shoot for your web pages.
Close up or far away
For beginners, one of the easiest ways to capture depth of field in photography is simply through proximity to the object itself. When you are close to the object you want to have in focus, you actually lose much of the depth of field. The object itself will be in focus, but the depth in the background will be reduced.
However, if you are looking for a shot down a long bench or hallway, getting farther away from the object you want in focus will give you a larger depth of field. This will make the background look larger and in turn add more depth to the photo.
Get to know your apertures
As you progress with your photography hobby, you should get to know the various apertures on your camera. The apertures on your camera are what affect the object to camera ratio. While this sounds complex, it is actually quite simple once you understand the concept behind it. In depth of field photography, some images will be focused inside the shot, while the rest will remain somewhat to extremely out of focus depending on the type of aperture you use. The wider the aperture (such as f 1.8) the smaller the area you will have that will be in focus in the camera.
On the other hand, if you have a very narrow aperture (f 22) then you will have the majority of the picture in focus with the rest out of focus. The sooner you learn how to play with these apertures the easier it will be to know which one is right for the photo you are aiming to shoot for your site.
Uses for shallow depth of field
There are certain pictures that look better in a more shallow depth of field. Portraits are by far one of the best uses of a shallow depth of field because it truly puts the image of the person in view and blurs out the rest of the background. This is the perfect image for a headshot or picture of you for any promotional materials or fun uses. Before getting your own image, play around with various apertures to get a feel for which one is right for your camera setting, background and desired look. Then, set it in auto pilot and start shooting, or have a friend help out as you pose.
Uses for greater depth of field
Outdoor shots are great ways to show something symbolically. Nature can be fierce, calm or beautiful. If you are headed outdoors and want to capture a particular scene using the depth of field approach, this is the right setting to do it. Simply change the focal length of your camera and start shooting. The shorter the focal length, the more depth of image you will have for outdoor pictures.
Regardless of what you are shooting, play around with this unique method of camera angles and you will instantly have the ability to update your website with bold looks and a more appealing visual page.
– images courtesy of flickr –
