Depth of Field

Depth of field (DOF) is a term which refers to the areas of the photograph both in front and behind the main focus point which remain "sharp" (in focus). Depth of field is affected by the aperture, subject distance, focal length, and film or sensor format.

A larger aperture (smaller f-number, e.g. f/2) has a shallow depth of field. Anything behind or in front of the main focus point will appear blurred. A smaller aperture (larger f-number, e.g. f/11) has a greater depth of field. Objects within a certain range behind or in front of the main focus point will also appear sharp.










If all this sounds too complicated you can sometimes achieve the same results simply by the way you focus on your subject matter. If you find your subject in the view finder and are able to get either foreground or background images blurry it will draw more attention to the subject. When everything is clear and in focus it takes away from the focus on your subject matter. Experiment with blurring images in front of or behind your subjects and see what type of results you get.

Bump. I remember this being one of the first things I learned, and I gotta say it made a drastic improvement in my shots. And also here is a video tutorial that I will end up putting in the header.

Helpful bud, thanks. Never forget the basics.