RCP Photography School: Depth of Field

Hello to all who’ve joined me on day 4 of this 26 day challenge to learn about the basics of photography.

So, we've completed the ABC's of photography, so now we'll do the rest!

Are you ready?

If you’re doing this course, you probably already know a little bit about me but if you don’t, please check out who I am.

I am really passionate about helping other people, and lockdown has been severely difficult. We are now in Lockdown 3.0 or is it 4.0? I've lost track of how many people I've spoken to recently that need an outlet; something to feel good about themselves or to get creative. Photography has been a therapy for me during lockdown, and I really hope this course is just that for you!

Today I’m going to talk about...

D for Depth of Field

Depth of field is a key element to aperture, which we began with at the start of this course. The larger the f-stop, the more focused the subject with be, which will then mean the background is blurry. But, with a smaller f-stop, it will create a shallow depth of field.

Basically, this is used when you want the background to be less or more subtle in the photograph. For example, if you stand a few feet away from bushes and photograph a person, you won't see the leaves very well in the bushes. But, if you stand right up against the bush, everything will be sharp that is in the 'frame'.

Simple objects in your home can come in handy to try this technique out. For example, hold a candle up to a textured background. Take a photo. Then keep the hand holding the camera still, and bring the other hand forward. Then take another photos. Look at the difference, the depth of field.

Or use a colourful background, like books and set your object down. Take a photo then lift the object, keeping the other hand in the same position, and take a photo of it closer to you.

Jewellery or smaller objects are great with e.g. flowers in the background. See how the background becomes less focused the closer the object gets to you?

Depth of field brings a whole new level of awesomeness to your photographs. I hope you'll spend some time with objects in your home, especially since there has been a lot of rain recently.