CAMERA / LENS TECHNIQUE / SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD

This photograph employs a SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD, which, in this case, emphasises the edge of the spoon, drawing the viewers' eye to the point of focus. The remaining blurred image adds to the composition by suggesting a story upon which the viewers' mind may decide.
This was taken in the studio, using a Nikon D80 SLR, an 18 - 55mm lens, set on Manual focus. Manual focus can work better for this type of shot, since you are able to put the focal point exactly where you want it, rather than let the camera decide on automatic. I used a shallow depth of field, f. 5.6, at 125th of a second, at ISO 100. The lighting was one Bowens studio flash light with a soft box diffuser. The lens was set to a focal length of 52mm. According to Langford, shallow depth of field; " using a wide aperture limits detail, concentrates interest on an element at one chosen distance" - Langford, Fox, Sawdon Smith. Langford's Basic Photography, Focal Press, 2007, 8th Edition.
Langford also refers to , "circles of confusion" to explain how aperture affects depth of field. Dependant on how far away the subject is from the lens, means that parts of the subject are closer or further away from the focal point, and form overlapping discs, or circles of light. Large overlapping circles give blurred images (large apertures, where the subject is away from the focal point), and small circles where the image is sharply focused.