Understanding the intricacies of lens sharpness is crucial for photographers, as it significantly impacts the quality and aesthetic of their images. If you are new to photography, this helpful video tutorial will get you started on the right track.
Coming to you from Scott Choucino of Tin House Studio, this great video tutorial takes a practical look at aperture. Choucino starts with a scenario many photographers can relate to: the choice of aperture settings and its impact on lens sharpness. Using a 90mm lens, the speaker experiments with various f-stops, demonstrating how different settings affect the sharpness and depth of field. What stands out is the emphasis on making choices based on the needs of the shoot, not just technical ideals. For example, while a smaller aperture like f/16 may provide optimal sharpness, there are times when a larger aperture, say f/22, is more suitable for capturing the entire subject in focus. This choice between sharpness and depth of field is not just about what's technically "correct" but what works best for the image you're trying to capture.
The video also touches on real-world constraints that photographers face, like budget and time. These factors often dictate the settings and techniques used during a shoot. For instance, while focus stacking or using camera movements might be ideal for achieving both sharpness and depth of field, they're not always feasible. Choucino's pragmatic approach, prioritizing the subject's focus and the overall composition over strict adherence to technical rules, is a valuable lesson. Be sure to give the full video a watch above.
I totally agree, this is how I do it myself. First, we really don't have the time to stack with most advertising shoot. There are exceptions but when we work with a team of creatives, CEOs, models, pets, moving product or fluids there are so many time constraints. Lots of that stuff the photographer has to decide on prior to the shoot or shoot day, and then you fine tune, but you brought the right tools to the location. Most shoots today are not done in your studio and you can't forget to bring any equipment.