The DOF here is absolutely fantastic. However, what drew my eye to this image was the incredible story. If this had been a competition about the story, I would be giving you 1st place. It makes me question if this is a mum who died with her babies. It's so thought-provoking, I truly love this image.
I love how carefully this image has been framed with the out of focus lights lining up with the mug, creating the effect they're flying out or into the mug. The use of colour works well too, with the blue complimenting the yellow lights beautifully. Your eye is instantly drawn to this excellent image.
What a beautiful capture and excellent user of DOF here. Excellent choice of shutter speed also. I like you can see a little blur in the wings. Its very subtle but still shows movement. My only critique is the green cast that's around the flower and what looks like overuse of clarity that's causing a subtle white halo around the birds belly. The framing is perfect though. Excellent job
The colours here complement each other beautifully. The DOF is, of course, excellent at 2.8. The water droplet really helps guide your eye around the image. I love a lighter vignette in the top right corner drawing your eye towards the right side instead of the out of focus left side of the image. Fantastic. Well done!
Outstanding image. Usually, I'm not a fan of selective colour in images as I've seen many examples of this being done in a 'cheesy' way. But here colour has been used in a very conscious way. Your eye is instantly drawn to the centre of the frame and I've not seen another example of this in all of the thousands of entries I've looked through. The texture on his hands is also what I love most about this image and, of course, excellent use of depth of field.
Thoroughly deserving of 1st place, congratulations
Eyes are bigger than your belly! I can relate! Excellent frame and somewhat comical with so many fishes in its mouth all at once. I love the choice of aspect ratio also. I really like a square crop. The DOF helps draw your eye into the centre. It looks like you caught this bird off guard. Excellent image and choice of coal length
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Instantly reminded me of a Biffy Clyro album cover. I love how rough and edgy the location looks but I also love the use of colour here too. The blue compliments the brown ground drawing my eye in. Love the framing and choice of aspect ratio too. Not many have chosen a square(ish) ratio. I personally love a square crop. Great job!
I instantly thought of the movie A Bugs Life. The eyes are so striking and the use of colour here compliments and helps stand him out from the foreground and background. Cracking image,. I would have just liked to have seen both antennas in shot. I love he's centred in the frame and use of vignette to draw your eye further in! Great job
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The best use of DOF on food in this competition. The steam above the food really helps sell this image. The composition and colour also draw your eye in. I would probably have introduced a bounce card on the unlit side of the plate and lowered the exposure on the lit side to bring down the highlights as it looks as though it's on the edge of overexposing. Apart from that, excellent image and use of DOF.
Brief
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In this ongoing series that focusses on particular creative photographic techniques, we’re looking here at shallow depth of field. By using a wide aperture (a low f number such as f2.8, or f4) a good sized area in front of and behind the plane of focus will be blurred, creating an appealing effect, and really focussing attention on the main subject that is in focus. Shallow depth of field is also achieved by shooting subjects very close-up, and by using a longer focal length lens, but these two variables will likely be determined more by your subject. Images of any subject can be entered into this contest, but do ensure that there are nice areas of blur in your image, and a sharp focus on one or more elements as well. *This contest is open to Photocrowd subscribers (Challenger/Pro/Master), or by purchasing entries.*
