R29 - Camera Work - Depth of field

Definition of depth of field is the distance between the nearest and the farthest objects in a scene that appear sharp in an image.
when shooting a subject the depth of field refers to how much the shot seems to be in focus to the eye.
In an image both the subject and the background can be in focus which is known as deep depth of field or if its just the subject in focus it is known as a shallow depth of field.
Shallow depth of field is a valuable creative tool as it helps to draw attention to the subject.
The quality of an out of focus area is referred as 'bokeh'.

Depth of field can controlled by:

1. Aperture
- This is the most popular one
- If you want a deep depth of field the smaller the aperture which is represented by a larger numerical number.
- If you want a shallow depth of field the wider the aperture which is represented by a smaller numerical number.















2. Focal length
- A longer focal length will demonstrate a shallower depth of field this can be changed by using different zoom lenses

3. Distance from camera to subject
- Moving the camera closer to the subject - shallower depth of field.
- Moving the camera away from the subject - deeper depth of field.

• You should make sure that you don't forget composition and whatever you're shooting you should think about composition in combination with the depth of field.