Photography: Aperture & Depth of Field
by Abigail Bevilacqua
1. Factors which affect depth of field can be seen in this example.
1.1. three the most important elements that affect depth of field
2. Calculating D.O.F Calculating depth of field is best done using an online calculator as it takes into account a variety of factors which are specific to the camera being used. However, an important part in calculating depth of field is determining an appropriate value for the maximum allowable circle of confusion. Circle of confusion is used to determine how much a point needs to be blurred to be perceived as unsharp. This is based on the camera's sensor size and the viewing distance/print size combination.
3. Depth of Field (D.O.F)
3.1. Definition: Depth of field is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image.
3.1.1. Deep D.O.F Deep depth of field allows for a greater area of the scene to be in focus (focus range covers a large area front to back), leaving less of the environment blurred. Generally, a smaller aperture (e.g. f/16) is used when creating deep depth of field photography. Deep depth of field is often used in landscape photography and sometimes architectural photography.
3.1.2. Shallow D.O.F Shallow depth of field is used to isolate an object or subject from the environment which surrounds it. Therefore, in a photograph with a shallow depth of field, the area right in front and behind the subject in focus will be blurred (out of focus). Generally a larger aperture (e.g f/1.8) is used when creating shallow depth photography It is often used in portrait photography, macro photography and sports photography.
4. Our examples for Depth of Field
5. IN BRIEF: To create a deep depth of field the aperture would need to be narrow. To create shallow depth of field the aperture would need to be wide open.
5.1. The image above illustrates the relation between aperture and the amount of depth of field.
6. Focal length is second the most important factor that affects depth of field. The longer the lens, the shallower depth of field is. A wide angle lens, called short lens, would make an image with deeper depth of field.
7. Focus distance is the third factor that affects depth of field, and the easiest to understand: “the closer the focus distance is to the camera, the less depth of field you have” in your picture You probably have noticed this. “On close-ups of actors or objects, part of the frame is usually blurrier than on wide shots of landscapes.”
8. M 1/1.3 F4.8 ISO 100 32mm WB- Incandescent SPC - Neutral AdobeRGB
9. shallow depth of field
10. M 1/1.3 F4.8 ISO 100 32mm WB- Incandescent SPC - Neutral AdobeRGB
11. M 1/1.3 F4.8 ISO 100 32mm WB- Incandescent SPC - Neutral AdobeRGB
12. M 1/1.3 F4.8 ISO 100 32mm WB- Incandescent SPC - Neutral AdobeRGB
13. M 1/1.3 F4.8 ISO 100 32mm WB- Incandescent SPC - Neutral AdobeRGB
14. Aperture
15. Affect on Shutter Speed
15.1. To create a deep depth of field you need a smaller aperture, which means the F/stop is larger so less light can come through the lens which may make your picture darker. By changing the shutter speed to a slower shutter speed so the light has more time to get to the sensor and brighten the picture.
16. F/22 - 18mm - ISO 400 - 1/10 sec - WB: Incandescent
17. F/3.5 - 18mm - ISO 100 - 1/20 sec - WB: Incandescent.
18. The iris is the mechanism that controls the size of the aperture. The smaller the iris, such as a F stop of F/22, would mean for a smaller aperture and the smaller the aperture the less amount of light that the iris allows into the camera.
19. Aperture controls the amount of light that reaches the sensor and is measured in F-numbers and determines how wide the iris is therefore determines how much light is let into the lens.
19.1. F Stop: -Ratio of the lens' s focal length to the diameter of the entrance pupil. -Measured in fractions, the smaller the F-stop the larger the aperture and vice versa. -The iris of the lens controls how large the aperture is.
19.2. Aperture can add to a photograph by blurring the background or making everything in focus. It also has a direct effect on the depth of field. A smaller aperture will bring both foreground and background objects in focus, whereas a larger aperture will isolate the foreground and have the background in blur.
20. F9- M 1-1.6 ISO 100 32mm WB - Incandescent SPC - Neutral AdobeRGB
21. F11- M 1-1.6 ISO 100 32mm WB - Incandescent SPC - Neutral AdobeRGB
22. deep depth of field
23. F4.8- M 1-1.6 ISO 100 32mm WB - Incandescent SPC - Neutral AdobeRGB
24. F20 M 1-1.6 ISO 100 32mm WB - Incandescent SPC - Neutral AdobeRGB
25. F7.1- M 1-1.6 ISO 100 32mm WB - Incandescent SPC - Neutral AdobeRGB
26. Aperture examples
27. F/18 - 18mm - ISO 100 - 1/10 sec - WB: Incandescent
28. F/13 - 18mm - ISO 200 - 1/10 sec - WB: Incandescent
29. F/5.6 - 18mm - ISO 100 -1/10 sec - WB: Incandescent
