A lock sitting apart from all the others
Tony Hemenway Spartan Scoop
Depth of field is one of the most important tools in a photographer’s arsenal. Using depth of field (like in this photo), you can isolate certain parts of a picture to put more emphasis onto a subject and help capture the viewer’s attention.
A downtown elk statue being up-scaled
Tony Hemenway Spartan Scoop
In this photo, I used depth of field to focus on the base shape, the elk, and to allow the light from the sun to remain in the background. Using depth of field to emphasize shape can be very useful when looking to create a light-based photograph like this one.
An ace of spades resting in the snow
Tony Hemenway Spartan Scoop
While being one of my older photos, I believe it remains one of my best examples of depth of field. Using depth of field to capture an object is one thing, but capturing the object and some of its surroundings is another entirely. Being able to isolate an object in the back but focusing in the front makes it more grounded in the photograph.
A goose wandering in the park brush
Tony Hemenway Spartan Scoop
Sometimes a subtle depth of field like the one portrayed in this photo is better than something more explicitly obvious. A more shallow depth of field allows for more focus on the subject, but also allows background details to still stick out to the viewer.
Water resting on my car window
Tony Hemenway Spartan Scoop
This the one of my most obvious and apparent uses of depth of field. Focusing on something so close allows for little else (including the background) to be very dull compared to the sharpness of the water droplets. Taking a photo so close to a subject allows for the depth of field to really do its work, focusing solely on the subject.
Thanks for reading this far! It really rocks to be able to share my passion and be able to show off my favorite photos and techniques and aspects of my hobby. This will be my last piece of 2023, ,but will keep putting out more photos after our winter break. Massive thanks to my family in the newsroom and an even bigger thanks to our viewers for an awesome year!
Keep on keeping on, and have a wonderful holiday season!
