20 Depth of field

Control over depth of field (DOF) can often make or break a great shot. For example, in landscape photography, you will want the foreground and background to be simultaneously sharp. In portraiture, however, you’ll more often want to blur a fussy background. In all cases, a shorter focusing distance will reduce the depth of field. In landscapes, it often works best to focus on a point about a third of the way into the scene. Wider apertures and longer focal lengths (eg f/5.6 at 200mm) give a reduced depth of field. Narrower apertures and short focal lengths (eg f/16 at 18mm) increase the depth of field.

Landscape photos such as this one call for a large depth of field, which is accomplished using a narrow aperture and a short focal length (eg f/16 at 18mm). Use a tripod to ensure sharp shots every time