What is Depth of Field
What is Depth of Field?
Depth of field is the range of distance within the subject that is acceptably sharp. The depth of field will vary from camera type, aperture settings, and focusing distance.
It is important to remember that the depth of field does not abruptly change from sharp to unsharp, but instead occurs as a gradual transition. In fact, everything immediately in front of or in back of the focusing distance begins to lose sharpness– even if this is not perceived by our eyes or by the resolution of the camera.
Controlling Depth of Field
Depth of field is mainly controlled by the aperture settings of your camera. Larger apertures (smaller F-stop number) and closer focal distances produce a shallower depth of field while a smaller aperture produces a wider depth of field.
To have the best control of your depth of field, make sure your camera is set to Aperture Priority (AV) mode or Manual (M) mode.
Why it’s important to know about Depth of Field
Landscape photos needs a wider depth of field to ensure everything in the photo is in focus while a portait photo needs a shallower depth of field to better isolate the subject from the background.
Still confuse what depth of field is? A good analogy is a person with a 20/20 vision views the world with a wider depth of field while a person that is near sighted has a shallower depth of field.
It’s important to remember that less light enters the camera at a given time when using smaller apertures (f22), so you will need to obtain a longer shutter to compensate for proper exposure. This is done by setting your dragging your shutter speed down. A tripod is suggested to obtain maximum sharpness.
F-stop and Aperture Settings illustrations are from istockphoto.com
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