266 THE HASSELBLAD MANUAL
Background Sharpness
The section on depth-of-fi eld in Chapter 16 mentions that depth of fi eld is determined by the
subject distance not the lens. That is still correct regarding the depth-of-fi eld range but not
the degree of sharpness in subjects that are beyond the depth-of-fi eld.
When backgrounds are beyond the depth-of-fi eld and therefore not sharp, the focal
length of the lens determines the degree of blur. As longer lenses magnify backgrounds, they
also magnify the blur making backgrounds more diffused and less disturbing. With a short
focal length lens, the same backgrounds may be just slightly out of focus at the same dia-
phragm opening.
You may want to select a specifi c focal length to record the background with the desired
amount of blur and then photograph from the necessary distance. The sharpness of the
background areas can be seen in the viewfi nder but only after stopping the lens aperture to
the selected aperture setting. You can use the manual stop down control on Hasselblad cam-
eras or lenses to evaluate the degree of blur in the background and foreground by viewing
through the fi nder while manually setting the aperture to different values.
Foreground Sharpness
Whatever has been said in the previously about background sharpness also applies to fore-
ground subjects that are closer than the minimum distance on the depth–of-fi eld scale. While
subjects with sharp outlines — fences, rocks, and tree trunks — usually look better when
they are within the depth-of-fi eld range and therefore sharp, blurred foregrounds with grasses,
leaves, and patches of fl owers or other subjects with fl owing lines can make effective fore-
grounds at least in color pictures where they can add a touch of color. You must be selec-
tive, however. Foreground subjects can often be used as part of the composition to frame the
subject or scene. Blurred foregrounds are generally best when blurred completely so that the
subjects are hardly recognizable. When the foreground is blurred just a little, the effect might
look like a mistake. If the standard lens does not provide enough blur, go to a longer lens.
Blurred foregrounds are seldom successful in black and white.
EFFECTIVE WIDE ANGLE PHOTOGRAPHY
Consider wide angle lenses not only for covering larger areas but for enhancing the three-
dimensional aspect of a scene, especially outdoors. The three-dimensional aspect is enhanced
simply by including effective foreground elements such as a rock or rock formation, a fl ower
bed, a fi eld, an area of water, a boat, a tree stump, or a fence, in the composition enhancing
the three-dimensional feeling to the image. This approach is especially effective with wide
angle lenses because they emphasize the size relationship between foreground and back-
ground, which makes the background subjects appear to be farther away than they actually
are (Figure 14-28). The large depth-of-fi eld range also often allows you to maintain sharpness
from foreground to background, if desired.
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