Day 1: Depth of Field

Hello guys! This is a continuation of my last post titled "Back to Basics" which contains a list of challenges for myself so that I could learn more about topics and other stuff regarding photography, and some more things in between. What am I saying? Let's start.

First topic on the list is "Shallow Depth of Field", followed by "Deep Depth of Field". It's hard to explain the difference of one without a reference of the other, so, I decided to do it in one post. (omaygash~ i am so productive today!) Here it goes..

If an image is shot at a lower f-number (wider aperture), your depth of field is shallow. This means some of the objects not lined up with your subject will be blurred. And if it is shot at a higher f-number (narrower aperture), your depth of field is deep. And in contrary to the other, more objects around the image becomes clearer or sharper.
Depth of fieldthe distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image. (Source: Wikipedia)
Example A: Deep Depth of Field @ 55mm focus & f/22 apperture.
Example B: Shallow Depth of Field @ 55mm focus & f/5.6 apperture.
Therefore, let's say that you want to take a picture of your cute neighbor while she's taking a bath  and you want her to stand out on the frame of your photo. Then you should set your camera aperture to a lower f-stop for a shallow depth of field. As seen in my sample shots, my subject is the "NIKON" print in the lens cap which is obvious in just one glance in Example B because everything's blurred other than my subject. Opposite to Example B, which puts everything in focus.

Also, lower f-stop let's your camera absorb more light due to the larger opening of the aperture, 

In short, my personal take on this is that shallow depth of field helps you put more attention to your subject, especially if you are taking portraits. It gives, well, depth to you photo and making it more alive or realistic (or sometimes more surreal) than deeper depth of field. Deeper depth of field on the other hand is best for landscapes and cityscapes because it focuses to infinity. Giving the photo the nice clear, sharp and crisp view of everything in the frame.

Note: I did this on top of my office table, so please bear with the mess.

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