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What is depth of field? |
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You'll notice in some photos that objects up close are in focus, but everything in the distance is blurry.
This is a classic technique known as adjusting depth of field. It's the perfect trick for beautiful portraits
and close-ups of all kinds.
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How does depth of field work? |
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The areas in blue show what will be in focus based on different aperture settings.
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The size of the opening in your camera's lens, known as the aperture, determines what stays in focus and what
is out of focus in your photos.
The space between the nearest and farthest point of focus is called the depth of field. In other words, your
depth of field is the portion of your photo that is sharp and in focus.
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What are f-numbers? |
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Aperture is measured in terms of f-numbers (the "f" stands for focal ratio). The aperture grows wider as the f-number gets lower.
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These different aperture sizes are called f-numbers. Aperture size actually grows in diameter the lower the
f-number. For example, f2.8 is a very big opening, whereas f16 is a very small opening.
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How does aperture affect depth of field? |
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A small aperture (high f-number) leaves everything in focus.
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The smaller the aperture, the greater your depth of field will be. In other words, objects near and far will be
in focus.
The opposite is also true. The bigger the aperture size, the more restricted your depth of field becomes. Only
objects close to you will be in focus.
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A wide aperture only focuses on close objects.
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When to use landscape mode |
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In landscape mode, objects near and far are in focus.
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Almost all digital cameras are built with two standard default depth of field settings—landscape and
portrait. In landscape mode, the goal is to keep far away objects in focus, such as mountains or cityscapes.
The aperture for landscape is set to a very small opening to bring as much of the scene into focus as possible.
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When to use portrait mode |
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In portrait mode, only objects close to the camera will be in focus.
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In portrait mode, the goal is to keep closer objects within several feet in focus, while leaving background
details out of focus. In this case, the aperture is automatically opened larger.
If your subject is less than 20 inches or so away, use your camera's macro shooting mode. This mode allows you
to focus even when you're extremely close to your subject. Check your user's manual to make sure your camera
has this feature.
Learn more about close-up photography.
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How and why you would adjust aperture manually |
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There are many more aperture settings than just landscape and portrait, Those are just the two that manufacturers believe
people use most. If your camera allows you to adjust aperture manually, you may have ten or more choices available.
The aperture priority (Av) shooting mode allows you to adjust aperture while your camera automatically chooses a
corresponding shutter speed (the time it takes your camera to collect enough light for a photo). Or, you can go fully
manual and choose a custom aperture and shutter speed.
Experiment with different f-numbers. Each one will subtly change your depth of field.
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