Camera Labs

Well obviously there's no lens that can get as fast as f0.45, but the effect can be replicated.

Like most of my first attempts on this forum no doubt I'll look back on this post and laugh in a few months (!), but it's the first attempt on Cameralabs for this process (that I'm aware of) so hear me out and maybe try it yourself!

The method is to shoot a panorama with a telephoto lens wide open. Setting WB to manual and a preset, focussing on the subject and locking it, setting the aperture in manual and sticking to it, and then shooting the scene as a panorama.

This particular shot was made up of 25 shots from an 85mm at f1.4. The resulting panorama gives an equivalent depth of field of f0.45 and focal length of 35mm. The advantage is that you have the shallow depth of field of an 85mm lens, which a 35mm cannot possibly replicate, and it's spread over a large field of view. The resulting stitched panorama was 15000 x 6500 pixels and 680Mb, so I reduced the size of the image for posting.

I didn't have the chance of getting a good location as I was late home from work, but I'd been itching to try the process outside after a few tests last night.

The method has been named after a guy that made it popular on his blog, through wedding photography - google Brenizer and you're away!

So here goes - 35mm @ f0.45 equivalent:

The full size shot can here seen here, http://philpage.zenfolio.com/img/v29/p273074658-5.jpg

and the posted shot here:

This one makes me think of tilt-shift shots. I have come across the method before, but didn't look into it further. I'd rather have the improbable lens.

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

I don't think your camera flash would be effective, or even a hot shoe flash - the front element might get in the way a bit!

35/.45=78mm - not too bad for a front element.

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

nice Brenizer dubaiphil how do you pp this

Nice strong separation between foreground and background. Like popo, I perceive it as a tilt-shift shot.

I looked at Brenzier's blog and his wedding and engagement pics. Certainly he has a good eye for that genre - I liked the compositions etc.

However, I am not in love with the extremely shallow DOF - which surprised me, because I thought I liked creamy blurred background. But it's not really until now I've seen it taken beyond my personal aesthetic threshold, so to speak.

When it's this extreme, it simple feels like an exaggerated "effect" more than anything else. When looking at the photographic/compositional purpose, I think "enough" is blurry enough that your eyes naturally fall on what's in focus without being distracted by what is in the background - BUT sensing it all at the same time. You get the context without being distracted by it.

In many of his images, it works almost the opposite on me - my eyes are distracted by how unnaturally blurry things in proximity to the couple, are. To me, that takes away from the image.

For still-life compositions, macros etc. it can look good - but I personally leaning towards not having it this exaggerated for people shots. But that's just me.

What do you guys think?

Cheers

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Nikon stuff and other stuff, but not nearly as much stuff as I really want!

Phil,

Are you using a full frame or cropped sensor body?

I'm wondering how well this would work using a 50mm f1.8 on my cropped (1.6) 550D.

I'm also wondering if it would be worth turning down the resolution of the camera to help my laptop with the processing. Its going to be a big image whatever.

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Canon EOS 550D (with Magic Lantern)
18mm - 135mm Kit Lens, 50mm f1.8, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM
430EX II Flash with Phottix Strato Wireless Tigger Set
Manfrotto 190CXPRO3 with 496 Ball Head. Gorilla Pod SLR
Canon Powershot A720IS with CHDK and intervalometer script. Pentax Optio W90

My Blog - http://www.ianganderton.wordpress.com

Ian - these are on a FF

If you just try 4 or 5 shots on your camera to start, stitch in Photoshop (file, automate, photomerge), you'll end up with more of a Full Frame viewpoint from your crop sensor. Then the more shots you add to the stitch, the shallower the DoF

For some strange reason, I'm perceiving the car as a model car.

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Sony α580 dSLR
Tamron 17-50 2.8, Sony 18-55 kit lens, Minolta AF 50mm 1.7, Minolta 28-105mm xi zoom, Minolta 35-70mm 3.5-4.5, Minolta 75-300mm 4.5-5.6
Kata 3n1-22

My short photostream: ivandegi

Phil,

Whats the calculation used to come up with the f0.45 number? How does it work?

_________________
Canon EOS 550D (with Magic Lantern)
18mm - 135mm Kit Lens, 50mm f1.8, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM
430EX II Flash with Phottix Strato Wireless Tigger Set
Manfrotto 190CXPRO3 with 496 Ball Head. Gorilla Pod SLR
Canon Powershot A720IS with CHDK and intervalometer script. Pentax Optio W90

My Blog - http://www.ianganderton.wordpress.com

Ahhhh, google is my friend

http://brettmaxwellphoto.com/Brenizer-Method-Calculation/

_________________
Canon EOS 550D (with Magic Lantern)
18mm - 135mm Kit Lens, 50mm f1.8, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM
430EX II Flash with Phottix Strato Wireless Tigger Set
Manfrotto 190CXPRO3 with 496 Ball Head. Gorilla Pod SLR
Canon Powershot A720IS with CHDK and intervalometer script. Pentax Optio W90

My Blog - http://www.ianganderton.wordpress.com

That's the ticket...

Interesting shot, Phil. It really does look like a tilt-shift effect.

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-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

Very cool technique. I first came across it through a Toronto-based photographer's blog.

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Flickr

Interesting effect. Seems like a plastic/metal model car. Extreme DOF.. that's for sure.

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 85mm 1.4 AF-D, Giottos MT9371 & MH-5001
http://www.facebook.com/radu.rica/photos_albums