Shallow Depth Of Field—Photography’s Most Powerful Technique

It has always seemed ironic to me that, as a professional photographer, the technique I use most often is something I can not see with my own eyes. Shallow depth of field is a product of camera optics and I …

When You Want It All–3 Steps To Maximize Depth Of Field

Back in the day when my students actually shot on location together, pre-virus, discussions on depth of field were a continual topic. This was partly because some my students had just moved away from full camera automation, the dreaded “P” …

Aperture Priority–The Auto Exposure For Photographers

There is an auto-exposure setting on most cameras that allows a photographer to set the proper depth of field while the camera picks the appropriate shutter speed for a correct exposure—“A” or “Aperture Priority”.

Forced Perspective: Add Drama And Depth To Your Photographs

Standing in the middle of Taos Pueblo, I was trying to decide how I would photograph the impressive five-story North Building. I knew I would use a technique called Forced Perspective to emphasize the scale of the building and create …

Control A Photograph’s Depth Of Field With Simple Focus Stacking

I used a solution called focus stacking. Making sure that I had frames where the focus on the fisherman’s face was sharp and others where the lobster is sharp, I didn’t change exposure or composition. I merely shifted the focus …

How To Manipulate Depth Of Field For Spectacular Portraits

Using shallow depth of field for dramatic portraits