PHOTOGRAPHY EXPOSED

by John Peters A.R.P.S.



  

DEPTH OF FIELD (D.O.F. or DOF)

The depth or area within an image from front to back that is in focus.

That is depth-of-field in simple terms. Depth-of-field can be difficult to grasp early on, just forget about it initially.

TOP TIP Remember, depth-of-field is covered again in more detail within COMPOSITION

The important thing to remember is depth-of-field decreases as apertures physically become a larger hole. Depth-of-field decreases as apertures physically become larger e.g. F5.6 or F4.0 as opposed to F16 for example.

Yes I know, a large aperture might be named f2.8 which is a smaller number than f16 but f2.8 physically depicts a larger aperture. It's not logical to my mind and for beginners, can be confusing but that's the way it is, please just accept it and be aware of it. Depth-of-field is one of the most important factors of composition you can ever learn further down the line, and is one of the most important creative tools you will come to use.

First test image

First test image

An example of shallow or small depth-of-field f4.0  See how a large aperture leads to a small area in focus effectively throwing the background out of focus in the shot, a good technique to separate the subject from the background.

First test image

An example of a higher depth-of-field offered by an aperture of f11  See how a smaller physical aperture leads to a larger area in focus making the foreground-to-infinity near sharp, a good technique for this subject keeping the groynes sharp as well as the lighthouse. A preferred technique often used in landscape photography. You might have heard a photographer refer to 'stopping down', they could simply be selecting a smaller physical aperture for the associated effect.

Muck about, experiment, it costs nothing in digital. Try a range shots at different apertures, some shallow, some the opposite.