Geek Latte | Depth of Field

Focus point on the first card (1/45    ISO 100   f/4.0) 

One of my favourite aspects of photography has to be Depth of Field. It is something so easy, yet can really make a good picture amazing! Having a DSLR really gives you so much more control and creative liberty over your photography. From what I know, you cannot really achieve different depth of fields with a cell phone or tablet camera and not even with a simple point and shoot. This is just one of the many advantages of shooting with a DSLR. 

So what is Depth of Field?
Depth of field refers to the distance between the nearest and furthest object that will be focused in the picture. This is contingent on where you set your focus point.  

The aperture or f-stops is what is used to alter the depth of field. There are other variables that contribute to the depth of field such as focal length and the distance at which the subject is from the camera, but to keep things simple, I will not be discussing them.

Focus point on the second card (1/45    ISO 100   f/4.0) 

When composing a picture, I always consider the point of focus and how much depth of field I want. I begin with point of focus as that is what I want sharp. I consider depth of field only after I have established my focus point.

Large Depth of Field (large aperture; smaller opening) will have more distance in focus. 

Shallow Depth of Field (small aperture; bigger opening) a shorter distance is in focus. 

Focus point on the third card (1/45    ISO 100   f/4.0) 

Another important part of depth of field is from the point of focus, 1/3 infant and 2/3 behind will be in focus. This is something to consider when deciding where to put your point of focus because it affects what parts of the scene will be in focus. 

1. 
   

Personally, my 50mm lives on my camera set at f/2.8 as I love working with shallow depth of field. It makes the pictures more interesting and captivating because I am keeping the attention on the subject only. 

I was trying to get the whole bus in focus hence why the bigger f-stop (1/60   ISO 1000   f/8.0)

Since aperture does affect exposure, by choosing to go with a bigger f-stop, the image will become darker, so you will need to compensate by increasing the shutter speed and ISO. A small f-stop, the opening in the camera will be bigger; therefore, more light will enter the camera giving you brighter pictures, but a more shallow depth of field. 

I really want to stress that photography is subjective and there is no right or wrong. It is all about being creative and by having a better understanding of your camera's settings, it only gives you the power to choose how you want your pictures to look!

If there is anything specific you want me to discuss photography related, please leave me a comment below! 

BYES