Depth of Field in Cinematography

1) Stills from existing media that use depth of field meaningfully

a. Still image from Alice in Borderland, 2020 showing how deep is used to convey conflict or development.

This image is from a scene using deep focus, showing every aspect of the shot in clarity to provide the whole setting the figures are in. The characters are in a life-or-death situation as the water is rising and there are electrical cords hanging. This allows the threat and conflict to be shown clearly, which may not have been understood by viewers at a different depth of focus.

b. Still from Warm Bodies, 2013 showing how shallow is used to convey character or development.

The use of shallow focus depth in the shot above is used to isolate the subjects to heighten the intensity of their romantic connection. In this scene, the characters have developed a bond that has grown beyond a friendship and are looking at each other differently for the first time, making the significant blur of everything around them symbolize how they are focusing entirely on each other. 

 

c. Still image from Pride and Prejudice, 2005 showing how soft is used to convey character or development.

In this shot, soft focus is used with the subject and background being out of focus, appearing to be smoothed out. The context of the scene in which the image is from is that the woman, Elizabeth, has woken up just before sunrise to go outside and spots her love interest heading towards her from afar. The soft focus creates an almost dreamy state, reflecting the early morning, foggy setting she walks in and the shock she may be feeling as he gets closer.

2) Stills I created using depth of field to demonstrate meaning

a. A still showing how deep is used to convey conflict, character, or development.

By using deep focus in the shot, a lot of the setting is revealed because nothing in specific is being blurred or in focus of one thing. The books on the shelves in the back are clearly visible as is the foreground of the photo where a boy is sitting at a table alone. He is looking at the rest of what can be assumed is a class based on the tables, computers, books, and general school setting. He is sitting alone, while a table next to him has several people seated. This conveys that he may be lonely, or that the rest of the class has excluded him.

b. A still showing how shallow is used to convey conflict, character, or development.

The boy and a slight part of the tree he is leaning on is in focus with the background of the lake blurred. This is used intentionally to draw attention to his serious expression and where he is, as he looks off into the distance. The image portrays his character as intriguing to those who view him because they may wonder what has caused him to look so serious or in deep thought.

c. A still showing how soft is used to convey character or development.

The photo is meant to resemble the way films in the 50s used soft focus to accentuate the features of a woman when playing the love interest of a man. Her face appears very smooth and out of focus as she looks up to him off-camera in the image creating a dreamlike love state used to develop the character's emotions and perception.

Reflection

Throughout this photo experiment, the challenges I faced were applying deep and soft focus to my stills. When attempting to take a deep depth shot, I was concerned on whether the distance was too short to apply to the concept. I wanted to create three plains of interest; the back, middle, and foreground of the image — allowing all parts to draw attention in developing a well-scoped view and potential storyline. But, I was capturing photos directly in front of the figure and his surroundings, diminishing the details and meaning that could have been revealed having taken the photo differently. I then shifted the position of the camera so that the corner points of the classroom's walls met within view. By including that intersection where the walls meet, it naturally added dimension to my photo, seemingly making the depth 'deeper' as well as providing more expansion for details in the image. As for creating a soft focus shot, I tried several methods to achieve its smooth effect, including stretching a small, nude mesh laundry bag over my lens. At times, my hand would slip and the bag was not evenly stretched across the lens, causing areas to be too sharpened and others overly smooth. I wanted my still to resemble the feminity this effect was associated with in the 1950s, which required the smooth, light blur to be noticable but not overpowering to the subject. I ended up taping the mesh bag in place, which made the 'blur' consistent over the image and the process of taking the stills easier, in addition to having a good light source to keep the image clarity intact.