Focus
What is focus?
Focus is one of the formal elements which makes it very important within photography, however focus doesn't make a huge impact, for instance many different photographers only make part of there images in focus or none at all. This is known as a shallow depth of field which means that only certain parts of the image is in focus. If the whole image is in focus, this is known as a large depth of field.
We looked at many different photographers who play with focus to create their images, one of these photographers were Ralph Eugene Meatyard who has very distinctive images that are fairly hard to see. They are in black and white and all out of focus meaning all you can see is shapes, however the shapes that you are looking at are very interesting in the idea that you have to really think and use your imagination to guess what you're looking at. Two of his series consist with focus and depth of field, both stretching the expressive potential of photography when looking at the ordinary world.
Focus is one of the formal elements which makes it very important within photography, however focus doesn't make a huge impact, for instance many different photographers only make part of there images in focus or none at all. This is known as a shallow depth of field which means that only certain parts of the image is in focus. If the whole image is in focus, this is known as a large depth of field.
We looked at many different photographers who play with focus to create their images, one of these photographers were Ralph Eugene Meatyard who has very distinctive images that are fairly hard to see. They are in black and white and all out of focus meaning all you can see is shapes, however the shapes that you are looking at are very interesting in the idea that you have to really think and use your imagination to guess what you're looking at. Two of his series consist with focus and depth of field, both stretching the expressive potential of photography when looking at the ordinary world.
Ralph Eugene Meatyard 'No Focus'
Ralph Eugene Meatyard- Ralph Eugene Meatyard learnt his skills in photography from his career of being an optician. Ralph Eugene Meatyard decided to become a member of the Lexington camera club in 1954 after being his son a camera. However the impact of this is he become inspired with this type of photography. Meatyard disguises this main subject with his lack of focus within the image, making the viewer o the image interpreting their own view of the image.
Saul LeiterSaul Leiter was originally a photographer by then became a photographer in 1940. After being a painter his photography work was inspired by his art work, this meant that within his photos he had a unusual composition and framing devices such as shop signs and umbrellas, this creates everyday life to become abstract. Saul Leiter used obstruction within his photography, this helps to focused the main subject in his image. The use of colour within his image, inspired by his work with art, has became popular and has influenced many who view his work.
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