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If you are an aspiring photographer, you have certainly heard a million times to learn about depth of field. 

But why is it so important? Let’s try to figure it out.

Do you know what creates a major difference between an average photograph and a striking photograph? 

Yes, you guessed it right. Depth of field is the key factor in creating a subtle difference between an average and an awesome photograph. But you must know the ins and outs and apply them correctly in practice. Otherwise, all your efforts will be of no use. 

In photography, depth of field is a much-talked-about concept. But the problem arises when someone misuses it. 

Considering the sufferings of most entry-level photography enthusiasts, we have tried our best to analyze the depth of field in terms of photography in the easiest possible way. 

So, don’t stop scrolling if you want to have an intense guideline regarding how you should use depth of field while capturing photos. 

What is Depth of Field in Photography

Surely it is one of the most popular concepts in photography. Still, the depth of field is not clearly explained in detail by most of the experts. They just preach the importance of using it in your photographs. 

But don’t worry. It is not rocket science. We will present it in a very uncomplicated way. 

To put it in the simplest way, in photography, depth of field indicates the distance between the closest and the remotest elements in an image which seem to be acceptably sharp. There is a certain zone both forward and backward in every photograph, which appears in a sharp focus. 

It is a fact that your camera can focus only on one point at a time. As a result, both sides of the focused point imperceptibly lose sharpness. The point that remains in an admissibly sharp focus range within an image frame is the depth of field or DoF. 

DoF varies from image to image. The gap between the camera and the first thing you can capture in focus is the DoF near limit. Similarly, the in-between gap of your camera and the farthest element in an acceptably sharp focus range is known as DoF far limit. 

However, it would be best to remember that DoF is more unvaryingly distributed when the focus point is nearer. Conversely, the remoter the focus, the less even distribution of the DoF it will provide. 

Types of Depth of Field

In order to master the depth of field and use it purposefully in photography, you must have basic ideas of both the deep and shallow depth of field. 

We already know that not every image has the same area of an adequately sharp focus point. That means the DoF of every image varies. 

Let’s get acquainted with the two major depths of fields for your perfect photography journey.

Shallow Depth of Field

If a particular photograph covers a very narrow area of focus, it is called a shallow depth of field. It is also known as a small, short, or narrow depth of field. 

It means that the space between the closest and the furthest elements within a sufficiently sharp focus range is very short. 

Generally, portrait photographers prefer shallow DoF as they don’t need everything in focus rather than the main subject. In this case, the background could be disturbing to some extent. 

To give more focus to the foreground subject, the background needs to be abbreviated. So, a shallow DoF is important in this respect. This is a fruitful way to isolate the foreground and the background. 

Deep Depth of Field

On the other hand, a deep depth of field is something that covers a wide space of an acceptably sharp focus range. 

It is also known as wide, large, or great depth of field. 

It means a huge amount of elements will be in focus while capturing an image. The in-between gap between the nearest and the furthest elements in focus covers a large amount of space.

However, landscape photographers often use deep depth of field because they usually need everything in focus within a particular image frame.

Do you know what the most interesting fact is? You can combine both shallow and deep depths of the field in a single photograph. In this way, you can achieve the expected visual appeal very cleverly. 

How fantastic, isn’t it? We would like to provide you with a friendly suggestion. Please learn more about where you should use which type of DoF. Otherwise, it will be a mess, and your photograph will be even worse than the original one. 

So to master this issue, read attentively till the end. 

Factors That Affect the Depth of Field 

A popular misconception regarding the depth of field is that it can thoroughly be controlled by the aperture only. 

Of course, the aperture is a crucial factor that directly affects the DoF in the case of photography. But this is not the only factor you should analyze if you want to gain expertise over DoF. 

There are some other key factors, as well.

Let’s get into a detailed discussion one by one. 

Aperture: This is the first factor directly connected to the DoF in a photograph. 

To describe it simply, the wider the aperture, the shallower the depth of field. 

On the contrary, the smaller the aperture, the deeper the depth of field. 

However, it is considered the easiest way of maintaining the required DoF just by changing the aperture. 

A small aperture means a large f-number such as f/11 to f/22 makes the rays of light pass through a small hole. As a result, the light beam gets narrowed. Thus, the gap between the two points appearing at an acceptably sharp focus increases, which leads toward a deep depth of field. 

Unlikely, the larger aperture, the smaller area will be in an adequate sharp focus. Because, in this case, the depth of field will be shallower. 

For example, if you choose a small f-number like f/1.4 or f/2.8, your lens will be able to focus on a wide area. 

Hence arises the most common confusion- why not choose the smallest aperture possible in order to produce the sharpest image?

Well, there are two technical issues. 

The first issue is regarding exposure, which does not only depend on aperture but also on shutter speed and ISO. A small aperture will consequently diminish the sensor light. Subsequently, you must reduce the shutter speed for maintaining consistency in an exposure.

However, it would be best to enhance the ISO rather than degrading the shutter speed. 

The second thing you should consider is diffraction. When you use a small aperture, the light that gets through the sensor gets more diffracted. As a result, the picture loses resolution and sharpness to a huge extent. 

So, it is a prerequisite to adjust the aperture in order to get your desired DoF while taking photos.

Focal Length: The second most important factor that has a powerful impact on the depth of field is the focal length. 

In this case, if you use a shorter focal length, you will get a wider depth of field. And if you choose a longer focal length, the depth of field will be shallower. 

Considering this logic, it is evident that if you use a 50 mm lens, it will provide you a shallower DoF than a 35 mm lens. 

However, it is quite reasonable if we consider it logically. 

A wide-angle lens will visualize everything located far as small elements, and that’s why you can focus on each of the elements. 

On the contrary, if you choose a longer focal length, the elements located far will be magnified and thus look larger. As a consequence, focusing on a huge area covering larger elements will be tougher. 

There is no constant suggestion regarding the best lenses for the best depth of field. It entirely depends on the requirements of the scene. 

If photography demands a shallow depth of field, the best lenses would be telephoto lenses with a wider aperture. 

Adversely, we recommend wide-angle lenses for having a deep depth of field. They will let you capture the full image in an adequate focus. 

This is how focal length determines how much depth of field you will get in your photographs. So understanding it clearly is very important if you want to enhance creativity in your photographs. 

Camera-Subject Distance

The next factor to affect the depth of field in photography is the distance between the camera and the subject. 

The remote your camera will be from the subject, the deeper the depth of field will be. 

Conversely, the nearer the camera you will place from the subject, it will give you the shallower depth of field. 

So, it will be wise to place the camera closer to the subject while doing portrait photography. In this way, you can blur all the distraction factors and wholly focus on the subject. 

Similarly, try capturing from far away from the subject if you need a deep depth of field. 

However, the lesser the camera-subject distance, the more depth of field will be more evenly distributed. But moving away from the subject increases the DoF back of the focus point and decreases forth it. 

Different types of photography demand different focusing distances.

For example, macro photography demands you to focus from a very close distance. Depending on the lens, you can focus on starting from an inch to a maximum of one or two feet. 

In portrait photography, the focusing distance can be ten to twenty feet, which is relatively close. 

In the case of wildlife photography, a telephoto lens is an absolute must because you need to get as close as possible. 

In landscape photography, a wide-angle lens is a preferable option for focusing on the hyperfocal distance. 

However, every lens has a minimum focus distance. It cannot focus closer on that particular distance. So you must know the minimum focus distance of your lens to determine how the shallower depth of field it will produce you. 

Also, remember that a longer “minimum focus distance” limits the privileges of composition. So, lenses that can focus from short distances are highly recommended. 

Sensor Size: DoF is also affected by the sensor size. 

The relationship is somewhat disproportionate. If you have smaller sensors, you will have a wider depth of field and vice versa. 

But you need careful consideration to conduct the comparison. 

The following two concepts are pretty important for understanding the sensor size effect in DoF.

Crop factor and effective focal length. 

The crop factor

=Diagonal 35mm/Diagonal image sensor

While the effective focal length 

=original focal length × crop factor 

However, if the focal length and camera sensor size are already given, the effective focal length will produce the unaltered field of view on a 35mm camera.

Here we would like to answer a natural question. Is it possible to capture identical images with a similar DoF using different-size camera sensors?

Well, yes, it is possible. In that case, the apertures should be divided equally by the crop factor for having the same DoF. 

The cameras should have the same effective focal length. And the focusing distance and the aperture should also be the same. 

Then you will notice that the camera with a larger sensor provides a shallower depth of field. 

That’s why full-frame cameras are the first choice for professional portrait photography. 

How to Determine the Depth of Field in Photography

Determining the depth of field is mandatory to give your photograph an artistic approach. 

But the question is how to determine it correctly. 

Almost all DSLR cameras have a preview button to view the depth of field. When you press the button and look through the viewfinder, you will find out how the original image will look. 

In this process, the camera stops the lens, and you can preview the final image. If the depth of field doesn’t seem to be right, you can change the aperture and adjust the DoF accordingly. 

This process is pretty effective in shooting films. Because you can avoid wasting photos by decreasing the shooting of inconvenient photos. 

However, it is very difficult to view the preview image at a small aperture as the viewfinder gets unconvincingly dark. So, many expert photographers think that the preview button is just a show-off. 

Live view is another option that some cameras provide to preview the DoF accurately. 

In this respect, mirrorless cameras are ahead of the DSLRs as they let you exactly see the final photograph through the viewfinder. 

Howsoever, you should pay attention to the areas that are out of focus while using the preview button. With changing apertures, huge differences will be noticed in those areas. 

How Depth of Field Affects Photography

After generating an overall idea of the DoF, you must have come to know why it is so important for photography. 

This is the most powerful tool to acquire the exact sharpness your photograph needs in order to stand out from others. 

Without knowing which area of your image needs the most focus and which area should be out of focus, you cannot capture great images like the experts. This is a very tiny and subtle difference, yet a very crucial one to distinguish between ordinary and outstanding photographs. 

The depth of field is the fundamental tool to let your images shine bright in the perfect exposure with an eye-catching sharpness. 

You must also have comprehensive knowledge about when to use deep depth of field and when to use a shallow depth of field. 

Final Word

We hope you assemble an in-depth idea about the depth of field for starting your journey as a photographer. Also, we have tried our best to bust some of the popular myths regarding it. 

So, if you had any confusion about how the DoF could improve your photographs, we hope to eradicate them all successfully. 

Be it a beginner or an advanced level photographer, mastery over DoF always matters in terms of capturing industry-standard photographs. 

Although the term seems to be somewhat pragmatic, it is not that complicated in practice. What it needs is your special attention and willingness to subjugate it. 

We hope you thoroughly learn it and control it accurately by the factors that affect the depth of field in photography. 

Not only it will improve your photographs, but also it will provide you with the artistic indulgence to capture your photographs based on how you like to present them to the world.