Depth of Field

Depth of Field (DOF) is the distance between the closest and farthest parts of your image that are sharp, or in focus. Before composing your photo you have to make a choice. Is it important that the scene before appears clear and sharp to soak up all the details? Do I want to hide distracting objects, messy walls, or bring my audience in on just the foreground? This varies from subject to subject and of course, with your personal preference. Depth of field is a term that relates directly with your aperture. Be sure to read and review my post about aperture. 

I find that if I am shooting a large landscape scene, I want to achieve a sharp image and bring the entire scene to life. I usually photograph using a higher aperture (f/stop) somewhere between f/11-f/22 to get the details in the distant trees or mountains, clear.

This is the kind of scene (above) I want to use a deep DOF. It wouldn't look as good enlarged to a 30"x40" print if I shot with a shallow depth of field, such as f/4. I need a larger f/stop number to get those distant mountain ranges clear. I shot this with an aperture of f/16. 

I shot this image above at about 7:00 in the morning when the sun was just rising. Since I wanted to shoot with a higher f/stop to get a deep depth of field (more in focus through my image) I knew I would need a longer shutter speed. This is where it is key to use a tripod. Shooting in dimmer lit scenarios means you need more light - to get more light in your image you either have to have a slower/longer shutter speed, a higher ISO number (review my post about ISO here) or open your aperture to a smaller f/stop number. I couldn't bend with my f/stop number and I wanted a low ISO setting (to avoid adding grain - remember the higher your ISO the more grainy your image will be). Using a tripod was the best solution by allowing me to use a slower shutter speed without having camera shake. I shot this image at f/16 and 1/4th of a second. 

This is an example of using shallow depth of field with a landscape. Sometimes you'll want to focus on your foreground and blur the background; in this case I shot at f/3.5 so I can see some of the ridges in the mountains. If I shot at f/2.8 the mountain range might not be as recognizable, like I wanted it to be. 

Here's another example of using a shallow depth of field for a landscape. Focusing on the branch instead of my whole scene adds a lot more interest in this shot. 

If I am photographing my kids and taking a simple portrait, I like to have just enough of their face in focus and blur the background. This ensures that the photo is all about them, not the greasy handprints on the wall behind their head, the dishes I left out on my kitchen sink, or dirty socks on the floor. You can take great portraits inside your own house and get that fun lifestyle element without showing too many details in the room behind your subject. You can also tell a fun story by using a shallow depth of field. 

I also use a shallow DOF a lot with newborn photography; focusing on their little feet or hands. In this case, I want a shallow DOF with my aperture (f/stop) around f/2.8-f/4. This draws the eye to the certain part of the image or subject that is in focus and creates a softer feel. I love the way it highlights the little details of a newborn baby. 

Brainstorm about what kind of images you want to take and practice using a shallow or deep depth of field to get the right mood and focus that you want in your photos. Hopefully when people refer to 'depth of field' you can understand what they mean a little better.