Digital Photographer - UK (2020-01)

Get creative with depth of field for close-up work

Shoot macro

shots with minimal

depth of field

One of the factors that affects depth of field

is the distance the lens is focussed at. The

closer the distance is to the lens, the less DOF

you get for any lens focal

length or aperture, while

the further the focussing

distance is, the more

DOF you get for any lens

or aperture.

This effect is seen at

its most extreme when

shooting close-up and

macro images, as the

camera-to-subject distance may only be a

few centimetres. Once you get down to these

small focussing distances, DOF is severely

reduced, to the point that even with your lens

stopped all the way down to f22 or f32, you’ll

find that much of your subject is out of focus.

Go the other way by

opening up the aperture,

and DOF is virtually non-

existent. Try shooting with

a macro zoom wide open

and focussed as close as it

will go. Even better, do the

same with a pukka macro

lens that will give you 1:2

or 1:1 reproduction. Focus

on an important part of your subject and let

everything else blur away. It can be stunning,

especially on colourful subjects like flowers.

“The closer the

distance is to

the lens, the less

DOF you get”

Top

Repeat after me

Looks for patterns

in plants and flowers

when shooting

close-ups

Above

Selective focus

Depth of field is

down to just a few

millimetres in this

macro shot

Below

Love hearts

Wide apertures add

an arty feel to setup

shots like this sweetie

still-life

Right

Abstract

nature

Minimal depth of field

gives macro shots an

abstract look

2

10 pRo Ways To use apeRTuRe

Getcreativewithdepthoffieldforclose-upwork

Shoot macro

shots with minimal

depth of field

Oneofthefactorsthataffectsdepthoffield

isthedistancethelensisfocussedat.The

closerthedistanceistothelens,thelessDOF

yougetforanylensfocal

lengthoraperture,while

thefurtherthefocussing

distanceis,themore

DOFyougetforanylens

oraperture.

Thiseffectisseenat

itsmostextremewhen

shootingclose-upand

macroimages,asthe

camera-to-subjectdistancemayonlybea

fewcentimetres.Onceyougetdowntothese

smallfocussingdistances,DOFisseverely

reduced,tothepointthatevenwithyourlens

stoppedallthewaydowntof22orf32,you’ll

findthatmuchofyoursubjectisoutoffocus.

Gotheotherwayby

openinguptheaperture,

andDOFisvirtuallynon-

existent.Tryshootingwith

amacrozoomwideopen

andfocussedascloseasit

willgo.Evenbetter,dothe

samewithapukkamacro

lensthatwillgiveyou1:2

or1:1reproduction.Focus

onanimportantpartofyoursubjectandlet

everythingelsebluraway.Itcanbestunning,

especiallyoncolourfulsubjectslikeflowers.

“The closer the

distance is to

the lens, the less

DOF you get”

Top
Repeat after me
Looks for patterns
in plants and flowers
when shooting
close-ups

Above

Selective focus

Depth of field is

down to just a few

millimetres in this

macro shot

Below

Love hearts

Wide apertures add

an arty feel to setup

shots like this sweetie

still-life

Right

Abstract

nature

Minimal depth of field

gives macro shots an

abstract look

2

10 pRo Ways To use apeRTuRe