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ScotlandPhotographyQuick questions
Image-Making Skills
Quick questions on Composition and image-making - SQA Higher Photography image-making skills
4short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is depth of field as a compositional tool?Show answer
Depth of field, controlled by aperture, is a compositional choice as much as a technical one. Shallow depth of field (a wide aperture, small f-number) keeps the subject sharp while the background falls into a soft blur, isolating the subject and forcing the eye to it - ideal in portraits or busy scenes. Deep depth of field (a narrow aperture, large f-number) keeps the whole scene sharp, suiting landscapes where foreground and distance both matter. Choosing depth of field is therefore part of composing: deciding how much of the scene should compete for the viewer's attention.
What is q1?Show answer
What is the rule of thirds, and why might a photographer use it? [2 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
How can shallow depth of field be used as a compositional tool? [2 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Explain how leading lines work in a composition. [2 marks]
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