Shoot it shallow

Do landscapes always have to boast maximum depth of field?

Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk Edward Weston

Depth of field is usually at the forefront of our minds when setting up for a landscape shot. It’s why we cart heavy tripods up mountains and down river beds, as they enable us to use slower shutter speeds and narrow apertures for maximum front-to-back sharpness. Some photographers will go to the trouble of working out the hyperfocal distance to achieve the greatest area of sharpness, while others will set their focus point one-third of the way into the scene and hope for the best.

The default is often to use an aperture of f/16 (any higher can lead to softening caused by diffraction). But ask yourself this: is the maximum depth of field always absolutely essential? A wider aperture, and consequently a shallow depth of field, is a powerful compositional tool, as it allows you to focus attention on a portion of the scene while de-emphasising other areas in front of, or behind the point of focus. And as an added bonus, you won’t need to use a tripod.