Mastering Depth of Field: Tips for Sharper and More Cinematic Shots
Jamie Perez • December 18, 2023
If you take a look at the screenshots above, you'll notice that one has a background is more in focus than the other. That, my friends, is called depth of field.
What is Depth of Field?
Depth of Field refers to the distance between objects in an image that causes them to look sharp and in focus or blurred and out of focus. Understanding how to manipulate depth of field can allow you to creatively emphasize certain things within your shot.
What influences Depth of Field?
- Distance - The distance between your camera, the subject and the background all play into this. If you are close to your subject with your camera, the background will appear more blurred. If you're shooting from a distance, you'll have greater depth of field.
- Focal length- The focal range of your lens also plays a huge role in achieving a certain depth of field. Longer focal lengths on a lens (600mm) tend to create shallower depth of field. Shorter lenses on the other hand (35mm) provide a deeper depth of field.
- Aperture (F-Stop)- This is the primary factor that influences depth of field. Aperture is measured in f-stops (f/1.8 f/4, f/16). The lower f-number (f/1.8) means your lens has a wider aperture, resulting in a shallow depth of field with a more blurred background. A high f-stop number (f/16), has a smaller aperture meaning more of the scene in the background will be in focus.
Creative uses of depth of field:
- Portrait Photography: This often uses a more shallow depth of field. This method helps draw attention to a person's face rather than what's going on behind them.
- Landscape Photography: A deeper depth of field is preferred in landscapes because you want to be able to see the whole image in focus.
- Macro Photography: When capturing super tight and up close shots, a shallow depth of field will help isolate a tiny subject and make it pop more against the background.
- Storytelling: Both are used effectively here. Interviews can be shot with a shallow depth of field to achieve a cinematic look, while the rest of the b-roll can often have greater depths of field.
Depth of field can be a very versatile aspect of both photos and videos. Both work in different circumstances, depending on the look you're going for. Play around with it and experiment to find out which modes you prefer in different settings.
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When it comes to video production, a major part of the art happens during the editing process. A good editor can take bad footage and still make a decent story out of it. But a bad editor cannot take great footage and make a great story out of it. You should be able to be decent at both, but if your footage isn't the greatest, a good edit can still save you. Here are some key elements to thoroughly consider when editing your videos to ensure the final product is as great as it can be: 1) Music selection: Music will drive the narrative and set the tone for whatever emotion you want your audience to feel. The music needs to compliment the video. In many music libraries online you can narrow down the search results by putting in filters like instruments, mood, beats per second, etc. If you have a promo video that you want people to be excited about, for example, use music that is quick paced, has a hard bass, etc. 2) A-roll: These are your interviews, the driving sound that will literally narrate the video. The first ten seconds are super important. That's your hook. It's what captures the audience's attention. Once you start bringing the viewer into the middle of the narrative, stakes are high so it's important to choose soundbites that reveal more layers to the story to keep their attention on the story. One of the biggest challenges editors face is deciding what stays and what goes. When you have so much good sound, it's hard to decide. A bit of advice here is to step away from the project for a day and come back and watch it with fresh eyes and ears. Then decide-- what sound would move me the most if this were my first time watching it? What sound advances the story and does the best job of driving home the message? And then lastly -- how do you want your story to end? Choosing that final soundbite is important because that's the overall feeling that your audience will walk away with. If you are moved by the sounds you choose -- chances are your audience will be too. 3) B-Roll: These are your visuals. Anything that is not an interview shot that helps move the story. It's great to use the phrase "say dog, see dog" when choosing your b-roll. If the soundbite talks about walking on a beach looking at the sunset, choose footage that shows that. One of the other challenging parts during the editing process is you could have an amazing shot of something--- but if the soundbite that talks about that didn't make it into the final cut of the story, then you also have to cut that beautiful shot you were super proud of if it doesn't move the story forward. But this can always be used in a separate standalone cut to promote the video on social media. 4) Practice: All of these things take time to master. Even when you've been at it for years, it's still a continuous learning process because every story is different. Find the moments that move you and the shots that ignite some sort of emotion in you. Cut different versions until you find the right one. Most importantly, have fun with the process! Want to learn more about the art of video production? Let's talk .
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