Experimental shallow DOF technique gone horribly wrong, yet so right...

TimurCivan

Director of Photography
Staff member
I was palying with a magnifying glass, and making upside down projections with it. Then i though... why not film it, after much playing this is whati came up with.

its not sharp because i am not perfcet and i had to hand hold the magnifying lense and try to keep it centered and square , and run the camera at 5:30 in th morning.....

but it has an interesting look. I Magic bulleted someof them. mostly to add contrast. I am going to build a light proof box to do this in so that the contrast is better. Enjoy.

These two are straight from camera

http://img138.imageshack.us/my.php?image=magnifyingscreengrab16jx.jpg

http://img99.imageshack.us/my.php?image=magnifyingscreengrab26xp.jpg

The following are with MB

http://img203.imageshack.us/my.php?image=magnifyingscreengrabwifmb17yh.jpg

http://img148.imageshack.us/my.php?image=magnifyingscreengrabwifmb20pk.jpg

http://img254.imageshack.us/my.php?image=magnifyingscreengrabwifmb38us.jpg

I smell Zombie vision........
 
Here is a pic of the Aparatus. you just have to flip it in Vegas or whatever you use.

 
haha looks interesting, almost like that musicvideo with a baby inside the mothers womb. don't remember what artist it was though
 
Interesting look.

wesley - The video is Massive Attack, "Teardrop". One of the coolest videos ever made.
 
You just used any regular piece of white paper? ...like printer paper? how would u get an image on paper like that?
 
we don't need no stinking CG!

Just got done playing with a magnifying glass. This is an interesting technique and I really dig it. Thanks for posting it. I have been working alone and I imagine it would be easier if someone were helping me. This is just a fun creepy effect. Look for it in my projects.
 
youre welcome guys.... i have become obsessed with magnifying glasses lately. and i built a "magnifying glass image machine" thing today out of a shoe box and some frisket as a screen. it looked EXACTLY like bad 8mm. with 1" of depth of field. i cant post a grab though the tape got chewed in my deck when i was trying to capture. i will remake it, and shoot some more. and post it for you.
 
black hawk,

yea just plain old printer paper. I thinki used my sketch book cause the pages were binded and easier to get it to stand up. but any old paper.

For better results use preferably something matte. but VERY smooth. like fine tooth hot pressed bristol paper. you can get it at an art store. I use that as a projection surface, and it comes in very large sheets. i am trying to make a more permanent version that i can focus with and attach to my DVX.

Will post pics. You will see it soon enough. :)
 
I am constantly impressed by the **** people come up with on this forum. Geniuses I tell ya!

x2mag68, this is cool as hell :thumbsup: , and I plan on printing your diagram out and stealing it some day when I find the right application, I will give you a shout-out though!

I'd like to see some of this in motion...

thanks!
 
Hey
I would like to see some motion as well. Is the light source pointing away from the magnifier or should it be just above the object? Thanks
Brian
 
motion

motion

I recorded some of me and then my roommate. It is the creepiest looking stuff I have seen in a long time. I'll try to get it posted this afternoon.
-Will
 
hey brian,


umm just treat the magnifying glass as a lense. you want to keep light off of it otherwise it flares. so kinds pointing away from the magnifying glass. or above the objects youre shooting. It is weird because it only really wants to show the highlights, and so there are sharp highlights and then no detail anywhere else. so if yo uwant an entire image out of it, you have to use LOTS of light.
 
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