Dennis Glennon's PHOTO TIPS
Depth of Field Made Easy!
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What is depth-of-field?
I think the easiest working definition of depth-of-field would be: "the amount of the image that is in sharp focus." This includes the amount of the image in front of, and behind, the main subject.
Why is depth-of-field important to learn?
Sometimes you will only want the main subject in focus, while at other times you will want everything in the image in sharp focus. When I photograph wildlife, I usually only want the animal in sharp focus. The background is less important. However, when I am photographing landscapes, it is essential to have the entire image razor sharp.
Two Rules of Thumb:
First Rule: Use slide film
Why? Slide film gives accurate exposure and better color rendition. You cannot cheat when using slide film. It will be easier to see how good you are with your exposures. Many times when using print films the lab either compensates for your mistakes, or worse, does a really poor job when developing your film. The problem with print film is that you will never really know how good your exposures are. Once you've mastered depth-of-field and exposure, and you find a good lab, then you can switch back to print film if you prefer it, but for now, shoot slide film. I use only Fuji film. I shoot Fuji Velvia ISO 50 for my landscapes, and Fuji Provia 100 ISO for all my animal images.
Second Rule: Use a Tripod
Most great landscape images are taken at sunrise, sunset, or even in storm light situations. These are usually low light situations, thus requiring longer exposures. The combination of low light and long exposures requires a tripod-mounted camera if you want to achieve maximum depth-of-field. All my of landscape images are taken with using a tripod. I also use a cable release to decrease the possibility of camera shake.
