What is depth of field?
You'll notice in some photos that objects up close are in focus, but everything in the distance is blurry. This is a classic technique known as adjusting depth of field. It's the perfect trick for beautiful portraits and close-ups of all kinds.
How does depth of field work?
The areas in blue show what will be in focus based on different aperture settings.
The size of the opening in your camera's lens, known as the aperture, determines what stays in focus and what is out of focus in your photos.The space between the nearest and farthest point of focus is called the depth of field. In other words, your depth of field is the portion of your photo that is sharp and in focus.
You'll notice in some photos that objects up close are in focus, but everything in the distance is blurry. This is a classic technique known as adjusting depth of field. It's the perfect trick for beautiful portraits and close-ups of all kinds.
How does depth of field work?
The areas in blue show what will be in focus based on different aperture settings.
The size of the opening in your camera's lens, known as the aperture, determines what stays in focus and what is out of focus in your photos.The space between the nearest and farthest point of focus is called the depth of field. In other words, your depth of field is the portion of your photo that is sharp and in focus.
What are f-numbers?
Aperture is measured in terms of f-numbers (the "f" stands for focal ratio). The aperture grows wider as the f-number gets lower.
These different aperture sizes are called f-numbers. Aperture size actually grows in diameter the lower the f-number. For example, f2.8 is a very big opening, whereas f16 is a very small opening.
Aperture is measured in terms of f-numbers (the "f" stands for focal ratio). The aperture grows wider as the f-number gets lower.
These different aperture sizes are called f-numbers. Aperture size actually grows in diameter the lower the f-number. For example, f2.8 is a very big opening, whereas f16 is a very small opening.
How does aperture affect depth of field?
A small aperture (high f-number) leaves everything in focus.
The smaller the aperture, the greater your depth of field will be. In other words, objects near and far will be in focus. The opposite is also true. The bigger the aperture size, the more restricted your depth of field becomes. Only objects close to you will be in focus.
A wide aperture only focuses on close objects.
A small aperture (high f-number) leaves everything in focus.
The smaller the aperture, the greater your depth of field will be. In other words, objects near and far will be in focus. The opposite is also true. The bigger the aperture size, the more restricted your depth of field becomes. Only objects close to you will be in focus.
A wide aperture only focuses on close objects.
When to use landscape mode
In landscape mode, objects near and far are in focus.
Almost all digital cameras are built with two standard default depth of field settings—landscape and portrait. In landscape mode, the goal is to keep far away objects in focus, such as mountains or cityscapes. The aperture for landscape is set to a very small opening to bring as much of the scene into focus as possible.
When to use portrait mode
In portrait mode, only objects close to the camera will be in focus.
In portrait mode, the goal is to keep closer objects within several feet in focus, while leaving background details out of focus. In this case, the aperture is automatically opened larger.If your subject is less than 20 inches or so away, use your camera's macro shooting mode. This mode allows you to focus even when you're extremely close to your subject. Check your user's manual to make sure your camera has this feature.
In landscape mode, objects near and far are in focus.
Almost all digital cameras are built with two standard default depth of field settings—landscape and portrait. In landscape mode, the goal is to keep far away objects in focus, such as mountains or cityscapes. The aperture for landscape is set to a very small opening to bring as much of the scene into focus as possible.
When to use portrait mode
In portrait mode, only objects close to the camera will be in focus.
In portrait mode, the goal is to keep closer objects within several feet in focus, while leaving background details out of focus. In this case, the aperture is automatically opened larger.If your subject is less than 20 inches or so away, use your camera's macro shooting mode. This mode allows you to focus even when you're extremely close to your subject. Check your user's manual to make sure your camera has this feature.
The idea of having large aperture (small f value) is to blur out "distractions". Our eyes would tend to focus on the subject or items that are sharp and clear in the picture. Hence, depth of field is a huge application for portraits and abstact images.
ReplyDeleteImportant terms:
Shallow depth of field = small f value
Deep depth of field = high f value
It's always good to keep in mind, what are the distractions in the picture you are about to take. Example:
if you want to take a candid picture of a single person... then, you should go for shallow depth of field.
but if you're going for group picture, you should go for deep depth of field, so that the faces you capture would not turn blur.
Warning !
The smaller aperture (high f value), the amount of light entering the camera and the sensor would decrease dramatically. Hence, exposure time would be longer (you need to hold steady longer, tendency of bluring due to motion increases exponentially) or the ISO (sensativity of the sensor) would increase (side effect: noise)