I talk with lots, and I mean lots of photographers and one thing that comes up often is depth of field. DOF, or depth of field, is one of the most misunderstood aspects of photography. Photography should be fun but we tend to over think things. People talk about Hyperfocal distance and diffraction and how they affect photos. Hyperfocal distance is simply at what point you can focus on a close object while keeping the background in focus. As you increase your focal length it becomes harder to achieve because of the compression of a longer lens. A wide angle lens gives you more depth of field because of the decompression effect. I don�t pay much attention to the whole idea when I am out shooting landscape stuff. I find the closest thing in the frame I want to be in focus and while stopping down the lens adjust it until it goes out of focus and then back it up a little to make sure it is sharp. I don�t care as much if something off in the distance is out of focus, the mind can accept that.

When shooting macro work or wildlife, it makes a bigger difference. Too little in focus can take away from your subject by making it fuzzy. Too much in focus can take away from the subject by creating distractions or changing the mood of the photo. I recommend experimenting until it becomes second nature to decide on a proper DOF.

Below are some examples of a macro shot with different depth of field settings (f-stops). The lower the f-stop the more shallow the depth of field, the larger the number the more that is in focus. With the Tamron SP 180mm f3.5 Di 1:1 Macro lens I used the range of the photos start at f3.5 and go up to f22.

Now is a great time to get the equipment that you will use this summer and fall into your bag and get familiar with it. Tamron is running some great rebates currently. There is currently a $70 rebate on the Tamron 18-270mm Di-II VC PZD lens. There are $100 rebates on the Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 Di VC USD lens, the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 Di VC USD lens, and the Tamron SP 70-300 Di USD lens. Give Joel at Camera Land a call to get your lens ordered today! As always let him know you are a member of the Campfire.

f3.5


f5.6


f8


f11


f16


f22

Great Post.

Very often an afterthought or even forgotten how important it is...

Great post! Just this afternoon I was trying to get some shots of the flowers in the snow and couldn't seem to come up with a decent depth of field.

Now, you have made it clear what I need to do! I knew it, but I forgot it when I went to digital cameras.

Thanks,
Ken

Thanks for taking the time to read and respond! I try and do this a couple of times each year because it is easy to get used to a certain f-stop and keep using it.

When you're as green as I am, these types of posts are always very much appreciated!

I will try to do more on a regular basis, thanks!