Focal Length

The focal length of a lens is the optical distance from the point where the light meets inside the lens to the camera’s sensor.

Depth of Field

The depth of field is the difference between the nearest and the farthest objects that are in sharp focus in an image captured with a camera.

Camera Focus

There are two ways of focusing a camera; autofocus (AF) and manual focus (MF). Autofocus is for general use while manual focus helps with close ups and detail.

Aperture

Aperture is the opening in a lens where light passes through to enter the camera. It can shrink or enlarge in size to change what reaches the camera sensor.

Canon Camera Simulator

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Ralph Eugene Meatyard’s collection of ‘Zen Twigs’ photographs inspired my focus experiments due to the use of a small depth of field. His photos had nothing in focus but the twigs and I tried to reflect this by using a very wide aperture in my photographs. I edited a few of these photos into black and white after to copy the intensity and tone of his photos; this is highlighted by the sharp focus of the plant in view. I also cropped them into squares to really recreate the style of his work in mine.