FORK HANDLES

What on earth is that? Adam Waring shows you how to shoot super-close, super-shallow depth of field abstract images of everyday objects

- Adam Waring

CRASH COURSE

ESSENTIAL PHOTO SKILLS MADE EASY

1 HOUR Macro lenses are famed for being able to capture dazzling detail in closeup images, seemingly magnifying insects to the size of elephants or showing the intricate beauty of flowers at incredible magnification, and are usually used at narrow apertures to maximise the notoriously slim depth of field you get when shooting so close. Indeed, tricks like focus-stacking are often used to extend the area of focus to make your subjects recognisable.

In this project, however, we’re going to do the opposite, and shoot an everyday object up close and with a deliberately shallow depth of field to create an abstract image that leaves the viewer wondering exactly what it is they’re looking at. We’re using a regular fork as our subject – by shooting down its length at a wide aperture we can make the tips of its prongs super-sharp while the handle is blown out of all recognition into an indistinguishable blur. All kinds of other household items can be photographed in this way, but the longer the item is the more pronounced the effect will be.

A tripod is essential for this project, not only to counter camera shake, but also because the teeniest movement of the camera will throw your image out of focus. Using a tripod also frees up your hands to nudge your subject into the right position, and to experiment with using an additional light source or reflector to fill in shadows.