What’s Your Preference?

TasDevil · #1 (**permalink**) 01-23-2008, 10:14 AM

Hi, i found a picture of a women in the hairdresser, now the background (mirror image) was sharp and the foreground (lady sitting in the chair) was blurred. Any help on how they achieved the shot? Thanks

Murtasma · #2 (**permalink**) 01-23-2008, 12:01 PM

Easy they focused on the mirror and used a wide apature probably F2.8 the depth of field generally extends 1/3 in front of the focus point and 2/3's behind explaining why the woman in front of the mirror was out of focus.

Do you have a link to the image?

Major_Small · #3 (**permalink**) 01-23-2008, 12:05 PM

Murtasma's got your answer - try it in your bathroom. You'll notice, however, that you're not focusing on the plane the mirror is on. You're focusing through the mirror to the model. So if you're using distance, it's your distance to the mirror plus the mirror's distance to the model that you're focusing on.

Olivier H · #4 (**permalink**) 01-23-2008, 12:25 PM

Because mirrors are just like windows, only that what you see through is a virtual copy of the world on your side of the window.

Nai no Kami · #5 (**permalink**) 01-23-2008, 03:28 PM

Jorge Luis Borges would drool over this conversation.

Digidave · #6 (**permalink**) 01-23-2008, 04:33 PM

Quote:

You're focusing through the mirror to the model. So if you're using distance, it's your distance to the mirror plus the mirror's distance to the model that you're focusing on.

I've often wondered about this. I know, I know, Why!!

But I would have to respectfully disagree. You would be focusing on the plane that the mirror makes, & everything reflected in the mirror would be equally in focus no matter it's distance from the mirror. In other words, you would lose all depth-of-field. Now, I'm just assuming here because that is what seems logical to me. Does anyone have any sample pictures of mirror shots where the objects get more out of focus the farther they get from the mirror?

You know, I was just thinking, I'm near-sighted, & using my logic would tell me that I would be able to see a distant object better by reflecting it in a mirror as opposed to looking straight at it. That would not make sense. So my previous statement may be wrong.

First time this year.

xxpinballxx · #7 (**permalink**) 01-23-2008, 05:11 PM

a good test for that dave would be to take a photograph of a close subject then on a subject farther back in the mirror. FOr example stand in front of a mirror at about 2 feet and make sure you can see an object about 10 feet behind you. See is it changes when you focus on each. you got me thinking now about mirrors and photographing the reflections?! there is no DOF in a mirror physically....so it seems like everything in it would be the same distance from the camera?

Im off to shoot some mirrors!

Olivier H · #8 (**permalink**) 02-26-2008, 11:37 AM

Even though all the light paths come from the same plane of the mirror, they originate from different distances from that same plane. The mirror is not per se like a TV screen, in which there is no appliable depth of field, but a light ray perfect deflector.

If a light path has come a long way from behind you, in what you see the mirror it comes from a long way from before you + the mirror->eye distance.

It is called virtual image, because the image you see is not formed on the surface of the mirror, it is just that the light wavefront is bounced and come back to your eye as if it was in front of you.

Like I said, it's like having a window to look through. Depth of field exists through the mirror (THROUGH it and not IN it) as well as it exists through the window pane.

LightChaser · #9 (**permalink**) 02-26-2008, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digidave

You would be focusing on the plane that the mirror makes, & everything reflected in the mirror would be equally in focus no matter it's distance from the mirror.

I beg to differ. I've attached an image of a compact lying on a dresser. Note that everything except for the bride's face is out of focus - including the frame of the mirror. Note that the piece of wood behind the bride (reflected in the mirror) is also out of focus.

As for TasDevil's question, the way I usually achieve this shot is by opening up my aperture as wide as possible as well as zooming in as much as I can while keeping my framing right. The aperture minimizes your DOF, while the longer focal length magnifies the effect of the shallow DOF.

curtiswheat · #10 (**permalink**) 02-26-2008, 01:52 PM

I have been playing with this a little myself. Seems that I get better results when I place an item right in front of the mirror. I then get my focus and switch to manual focus. Set everything up and shoot. Don't know why it makes a difference but made some nice changes. Will try to find a few and post this evening.