Research

This piece of research is carried out as part of Project 2, Part 2 of EYV and is looking into the use of depth of field.  In this particular case, the usage is that of very deep depth of field.

Ansell Adams is of course very famous for his landscape photography and in particular for his images taken around Yosemite National Park.  This work makes a particular point of front to back sharpness of image demanding very narrow apertures and the usage of tripods etc.

Many of his images contain some very close objects whilst also including distant backdrops. This is the most challenging setup imaginable for a deep depth of field but seems to be crucial in the current popular landscape photography composition of strong foreground object in front of good backdrop.

Fig 1, is a classical example of this, the image is composed with very little sky and therefore includes so close-to-camera rocks and stream in the foreground, all set against the backdrop of a large snow spattered mountain; everything is pin sharp.

There is strong technical skill to achieve such an image and strong compositional skill to create a framing in which the scene is balanced.  The approach is in complete contrast to work such as that by Gianluca Cosci that I researched here.

Learning

There is really no excuse to for out of focus areas in a high technical quality landscape image.  Using very high apertures, tripods, remote releases etc, today’s technology far exceeds that which was available to Adams and yet his images display extraordinary deep depth of field and sharpness.

Figures

Figure 1.  Adams, A. (1935) Mt. Ansel Adams Lyell Fork of the Merced River [Photograph] At: http://www.gianlucacosci.com/page14.htm [Accessed 23 Mar. 2017].