Shallow depth of field, especially with portraits, is one of most familiar and creative tools in our photography toolbox. It really sets off a person's face and eliminates a distracting background.
Deep depth of field, with everything in sharp focus from close by to the far distance, is likewise an essential tool for landscape photographers.
This week we looked at how we control depth of field using the aperture setting. We investigated how to set the "f-stop".
Of course, changing the aperture is one of the fundamental ways to control exposure since the size of the opening in your camera lens determines the amount of light reaching your sensor. Making an adjustment in aperture changes exposure AND depth of field. Making an adjustment in aperture often means adjusting the shutter speed setting as well to maintain the same exposure. And vice versa.
The point is this - when you are creating a photograph, you often have to decide what your goal is. If you would like shallow depth of field, then you'll need to use a wide aperture, say f/2.8 of f/4, resulting in lots of light coming into the camera. To keep your exposure correct, you will then have to adjust the shutter speed to a faster setting to reduce the duration it is open and limit the light.
Likewise, if your goal is to capture some motion blur, say to make the spokes of a bicycle wheel blur or disappear, then you'll need a slow shutter speed. The slow shutter will allow lots of light into the camera so you will have to use a small aperture to keep the exposure correct.
So far, we've done everything manually. Next week we'll show you that the camera is actually pretty smart and can do the thinking for you!
Check out the class notes from week 3 on the right.
Try out different aperture settings in your photos this week and see the changes in depth of field. Bring in some favourites to share with the class.
And a reminder ... the November 26 class has been postponed until December 3 ... thanks!
Good shooting!
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