F Stops, Focal Lengths, Lighting, and Composition
by Robert H. Jacobvitz
The photos discussed below illustrate certain aspects of composition, varying depth of field, and use of different angles and light to capture the gloss and reflectivity of a good detail or to capture a pleasing image. Different focal length lenses and f stops create different effects. Photographing cars with scenic backgrounds can result in some really great photos. These photos were all taken in a driveway, the setting of the weekend detailer, where an interesting photo can be more challenging. Both good and not so good photos are used to illustrate points.
In the first two photos, a 35mm lens is used at f stop 5.6 and f stop 1.4. Both photos have the same field of view, and the distance between the foreground and background is the same. The 1.4 f stop allows more light to pass through the lens. As a result, to create an appropriate exposure, the shutter speed increased from 1/320 seconds to 1/4000 seconds after changing the f stop from 5.6 to 1.4. The lower f stop blurred the background to a greater degree. By blurring the background, there is more focus on the car. However, the background could be blurred more by using a longer focal length lens.
35mm lens, f stop 5.6, 1/320, ISO 200
35mm, f/1.4, 1/4000, ISO 200
This is the same image, but using a 400mm lens instead of a 35mm lens. The longer focal length compresses the distance between the foreground and background, and just like a lower f stop reduces depth of field (blurs the foreground and background). If the 35mm lens was closer to the car, the background would have been blurred more but less of the car would have been in the frame. To blur the background sufficiently to create a better photo, and still get enough of the car in the frame, a longer focal length lens was needed. Use of such a long focal length lens at a relatively high f stop was unnecessary to achieve background blur but was used to illustrate the point. In this photo, the camera is much further from the car. In addition, part of a pine tree to the right of the car is captured in the image. That creates more balance to the picture and results in better composition.
400mm, f/5.6, 1/200, ISO 200
The next two sets of photos further illustrate the advantage of a longer focal length lens to blur the background. All four photos are taken at a f stop 5.6, and the shutter speed for all four photos is 1/250 seconds.
In this photo, the sky is washed out, and the busy background detracts from the subject.
35mm, f/5.6, 1/250, ISO 200
The tail light is much more dramatic in this photo.
400mm, f/5.6, 1/250, ISO 200
Again, in this photo the background is busy, and detracts from the car.
35mm, f/5.6, 1/250, ISO 200
The longer focal length lens blurred the background, and compressed the distance between the subject and background.
400mm, f/5.6, 1/250, ISO 200
The next two photos suffer a bit in image quality because the camera was not between the sun and the car, and no fill flash was used, thus violating one of the camera tips. They illustrate the importance of lighting, and are a good illustration of how a longer focal length lens compresses the foreground and background. Both photos were taken with an f stop of 5.6 and a 1/100 second shutter speed. For the first photo, taken at 35mm, the camera was placed near the car. Note that the three trees in the distance located over the hood in the first photo, which are further to the right in the second photo due to the different angle of the shot, look much closer and larger in the second photo taken at 400mm. The yellow foliage in front of the Yucca also appears much larger in in the second photo.
35mm, f/5.6, 1/100, ISO 200
The camera was 250+ feet from the car when this photo was taken with a 400mm lens.
400mm, f/5.6, 1/100, ISO 200
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