Depth of Field – In beginner speak “The Blury Background”

This is the first in a series of posts where I am going to try to explain some of the basic concepts of photography in “beginner speak”. If you like the concept, have anything to add, any futher questions or want to suggest another topic then let me know. Either add a comment below or email me.

If you have delved into the world of photography you will no doubt have come across the term “Depth of Field” or DoF. If not you’ll have seen some really great shots with the subject in pin sharp focus with a smooth blured back ground behind it. The ability to control and manipulate this affect is one of the most important aspects of photography. Depth of Field is the portion of an image that is in sharp focus. Controling the amount of a photo that is in focus is important for almost every shot from sweeping landscapes, where the whole scene needs to be sharp, to a headshot where only the subjects features need be in focus and anything else would be distracting.

Large DoF

Small DoF