DEPTH OF FIELD

DEPTH OF WHAT? Depth of field refers to the “distance” between the in-focus objects in your frame – those nearest to the camera and those furthest away.

SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD. Some people talk about a shallow depth of field, but others say “narrow” or “small” depth of field – same thing.

You have a shallow depth of field when the in-focus part of your frame is small, as in Celeste’s photo above. Notice how the shells are sharp only in one narrow band – everything closer to the camera, and further away, is out of focus. To get this effect, experiment with the widest possible apertures your lens can handle, such as f1.4 or f3.5. (Celeste’s cellphone could do f1.8!) This is a good technique to apply when you’re taking a portrait photo (person or animal) and you want the background to be out of focus.

WIDE DEPTH OF FIELD. Also known as “big” or “deep” depth of field, a wide depth of field is when everything in your frame is in focus, from the foreground to the background. You can achieve this by making