Short + Long Depth of Field

Shown above, the example of long depth of field I chose was shot by Robert Frank during 1955 in St Helena, South Carolina. Titled Funeral, the photo shows five men dressed in mostly black suits, standing in a grass lot with several cars parked around them. Three of the men in particular stand out: one in the foreground putting his hand to his lips, another in the middle ground leaning against the hood of a car while resting his chin on his palm, and the third leaning against the same car while looking towards the camera, the only one out of the five turned. This line of somber looking men, all staggered at different depths of the photo, creates a powerful mood. Without the long depth of field allowing for this effect, putting everything into focus at once, the magnitude of the scene would be lost. Even the cars in the background remain in focus, creating the idea that many more people are at his event, standing soberly while honoring the dead. 

For short depth of field, I chose the photo above, Woman with eyeliner, shot by Diane Arbus in New York City. The photograph shows the portrait of a woman, cropped from just below her shoulders to several inches above her head. The woman’s hair is well put together and almost seems to be glowing from the reflected sunlight, as Arbus positioned herself and her subject perfectly in relation to the light. Because it is such a tight headshot, with the intention of showing off the woman’s features, the short depth of field allows the viewer to focus in entirely on her without getting distracted by the background. The bokeh in the background also adds an artistic aspect to the shot which would not be there if the shot was taken with a longer depth of field.