Depth of Field

&FOCUS

Deep

Shallow

• Depth of field is the part of a scene

that appears acceptably sharp in a

photograph

Shallow D.O.F. results in a blurry background

• With a shallow depth of field, only a

narrow band across the scene

appears sharp (an F-stop like f2)

Deep D.O.F. results in an all sharp image

• A deep depth of field results in

everything appearing sharp from

near to far (an F-stop like f22)

• If you want two things in

focus, use an f-stop like 2.

• If you want 22 things in focus,

use a f stop like 22.

• Remember, sharp focus

attracts the eye.

Manual Focus• With manual focus, you select the

part of the scene you want to be the

sharpest.

• The nearer you are, the more

important it is to focus critically.

• Don’t forget that shutter speed and

aperture also play and important role

in making objects appear sharp in the

final picture.

• For maximum depth of field in a

scene that extends to a far, don’t

focus on infinity.

Automatic Focus

• Auto focus allows the camera to do the focusing for you, but we

will only be using manual focus in this class.

• Don’t trust an autofocus system. They can accidently focus on

something besides your subject.

Controlling Depth Of Field

• You can change aperture, length of

your lens, or location relative to your

subject to achieve the desired depth

of field.

• Longer focal length results in less

depth of field and a shorter focal

length results in increased depth of

field.

Controlling Depth Of Field

Aperture

f/16 f/2

• Always read your camera

manual to learn about all of the

options available to you!!!! Try

out all of the options. You will

be surprised by all it can do.

quiz

A) Quieter B) Louder C) Longer D) Shorter

1. The _____ the focal length of the lens, the greater the depth of field.

A) Worse B) Better C) Greater D) Smaller

2. The smaller the aperture opening the _____ the depth of field.

A) Slower B) Faster C) Farther D) Nearer

3. The _____ you are, the more important it is to focus critically.

Shallow or Deep D.O.F.?

What f-stop was used?

Elliott Erwitt