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Depth of field (DOF) is the amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. It's a personal preference whether you would love to blur or not to blur. This is related to Aperture that is one of the exposure triangle elements. The biggest the aperture which is the smallest amount of F such as F1.8, F2, F1.4 etc. It will have a narrower DOF which requires a critical focus point. The smaller aperture which is the bigger F such as F8, F16, F22 etc will provide greater DOF. This means that we can get everything in sharper focus.

I used to have hard time to remember this but I choose to remember the biggest apperture that give me bokeh effect (smaller F point). I will automatically remember what will give me everything in sharper focus. With reference to leofoo (2000), depth of field is governed by three factors: aperture, lens focal length and shooting distance. The following are some guidlines:

1. The smaller the aperture, the deeper the DOF (the other two factors remaining the same). For example, if the lens focal length and the shooting distance stay the same, the DOF is much deeper at f/16 than at f/1.4.


2. The shorter the lens focal length, the deeper the DOF (the other two factors remaining the same). For example, comparing a 28mm lens with a 50mm lens at the same aperture and shooting distance, DOF is deeper with the 28mm lens


3. The greater the shooting distance, the deeper the DOF. i.e. other two factors remaining the same). For example, if the subject is photographed from three and then from seven meters away, the zone of sharpness in the foreground and background is greater at seven meters.


4. Another characteristic of depth of field is that it is generally deeper in the background than in the foreground.

I do not have short lens such as 50mm, F1.8. It can create deeper DOF but I have never tried before. Perhaps, there would be a chance to try out one day. The above photo was taken using standard zoom lens which using further distance to create DOF. With reference to a previous blog post Fallen Flower, the photo was taken using a prosumer camera with 20X optical zoom. The DOF was also created using distance and focal length. It can be done by zooming the lens from a certain distance and choose your focus point.

It's not neccesary to own an expensive camera for such effect. Photography is all about the idea of it! Enjoy Clicking all the way for your special moments! For more photos : http://audreyleongphotography.blogspot.com/