36 Shallow depth of field
Isolating your subject
Kevin Meredith
The Idea
An understanding of depth of field (DOF) gives you much greater control over the appearance of your photos. You can use it to isolate your subject from its surroundings, to create dreamy images, and to quieten down noisy backgrounds. You can also use it simply to give an unusual view of something. One of the reasons an image can become more visually appealing with a shallow DOF is because it is different from what people are used to seeing.
Wedding Day Cinematographer Using a shallow depth of field is good for drawing the viewer's eye away from what would usually be the most important part of an image— it shifts the focus.
The Ingredients
- ▶ Any camera
- ▶ A subject or view ...
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