Depth of field (“DOF”)
Depth of field refers to the range of distance that appears acceptably sharp in a photography. For me it is not only one of the strongest effects to my photos, but also the most difficult effect to master. The reason for this is that it varies depending on camera type, aperture and focusing distance. This blog is addressing this topic with the aim of giving a better intuitive and technical understanding. A preferred selection Depth of field (“DOF”) in a focused subject in an image can be quite subjective. Remember this, adequate selection of DOF for one situation; application may be unacceptable for another photographer. It is all a matter of personal preference when trying to determine the appropriate use of DOF to enhance an effect in a photograph.
Three factors that contribute to depth of field: aperture setting, focal length, and the distance to your subject.
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The aperture setting is the most obvious influence on depth of field. The aperture is the size of the lens opening that determines how much light reaches your camera’s imaging sensor. The lower the f/numbers the bigger the opening. This is important because the smaller the aperture’s actual opening, the greater the depth of field will be.
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The focal length of your lens is important too. The more you magnify your subject, the shallower the depth of field becomes
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The distance to the object you photo is determines how much depth of field you can get in your scene. If you photograph a person that is far away, the depth of field will be much greater than it is for a person that is close to the camera.
A site that is very handy when trying to calculate the DOF is dofmaster
The Golden Hour 