Introduction What is photography? The history of photography What this site will do for you Light: The most important element Why light is important to a photograph The many types of light Controlling light in your pictures The camera The basic function Types of cameras Choosing the right camera Putting the image together: the Lens How the lens bends light: a tutorial A brief introduction to apertures The variety of lenses Choosing a lens Exposure: a film tutorial How film records an image Understanding film speed Print vs. Slide film Film recommendations Taking Pictures Depth-of-field Apertures and shutter speeds Composition and experimentation: the basics Metering: when you can't guess The many types of picture-taking Photography with a point-and-shoot Accessories Tripods: for when you can't stay still Lens filters Post-processing: after development Scanning photos The digital darkroom Photo and equipment storage
An important factor in finding out what will be in focus in a picture is the depth of field in a scene, or the area that will appear sharply focused. For example, a wide-angle picture of a landscape would have a very large depth of field, because every object in the scene appears to be sharp and in focus. However, a portrait taken with a telephoto lens would have a very shallow depth of field, because anything that is not the center of focus (the background, foreground, etc.) would appear to be blurred out.
Controlling depth of field in your pictures
To adjust the depth of field in an image, you must find out what the aperture, shutter speed, and focal length are set to. These are all important factors in determining the depth of field in a scene. You will learn more about controlling depth of field in the next chapter.