Depth of Field
Depth of field determines how much of a photo is in focus. A shallow depth of field means that only close subjects in the frame are in focus, whereas a long depth of field means that the whole image is in focus. Having a short depth of field is often good when trying to draw the attention to one object in the frame. A long depth of field is good when taking landscape images as you want to be able to see everything in the frame clearly.
Shutter Speed
Shutter speed determines how long your camera keeps it’s lens open when taking one frame. A long shutter speed means that the lens in open for longer, so more light is let in, so the frame may end up too white if open too long. Long shutter speeds also mean that if an object is moving in the frame, there will be a blur. Short shutter speeds are used when trying to capture a sharp image of an object, perhaps when moving. Short shutter speeds ensure there is no blur and also ensures there isn’t too much light exposure when the image is taken at a time or place with lots of light.
Close Up
Close ups are used in photography to capture particular detail of a subject. Examples of this are of eyes or patterns, which are used to portray the texture of the subject to the viewer, which can be seen because the image is taken so close. Close ups are used to make otherwise boring images more interesting.
Rule of Thirds
Rule of thirds determines whether the subject of an image is in the centre of the frame or not. It is often used to make images look smarter and to fully capture the subject as the viewer is drawn to the centre of the frame. Also, it could be used to put the subject slightly to the side of frame to make the overall image more interesting and eye-catching.
Examples of rule of thirds found on the internet:
Detail and Noise
Detail means that every part of the image is sharp. This is used to create a clean and perfect feel to an image, whereas noise is used to slightly pixelate an image. Noise is often used to make an image look less perfect, therefore when used on the right image, makes it look more rough and interesting.
Examples of detail and noise found on the internet:
Point of Interest
Point of interest is used to make the main subject of an image the first place the viewers eye is drawn to. To due this, often a shallow depth of field is used to make the subject in focus, whereas everything else is blurred. Also, rule of thirds is also used to achieve this as it means the subject is positioned in a certain place in the frame which makes it stand out.
Examples of point of interest found on the internet:
Low and High Key
Low and high key means how light an image is. High key photography is when there is no shadows on an object. This means that there is lots of lighting pointing at every angle of a person or object. However, it does not mean that the image is bright, there could be a dark image but have no shadows and that would still be high key. Low key is when there is a little contrast between the colours in the image and has low tones. Normally the picture is dark, but sometimes it can be light. Also, there is usually shadows on the person or object. This is created by using lighting pointing at the person or object from one angle/side but not the other.
Rhia Dukes Photography 