Depth of Field (DOF) This is the distance from foreground to background that is in acceptable focus. Most of the time the digital camera focuses for you automatically.

Why Use Depth of Field? Differential focusing is a great way of isolating your main subject from distracting surroundings or directing the eye to a specific part of the frame. It adds a strong 3D feel to a photograph. Using this technique allows the background to not compete for attention with the main subject.

How do you create DOF manually? Adjust the Aperture! Opening in the lens that is determined by the f/stop you set (size of the opening) and allows light to strike the film or CCD. This is a part of the camera that you can adjust manually on a standard camera, but not necessarily on a point & shoot digital one.

What is an f-stop? F-stop relates to the size of the aperture diameter (opening of lens) Reducing the aperture diameter increases the f- number, which increases the depth of field. So, higher the f-stop number, smaller the opening, greater depth of field (more is in focus)

Depth of Field This is the distance from foreground to background that is in acceptable focus. Deep/Greater DOF smaller aperture(opening) Higher F-stop(number) Shallow DOF larger aperture(opening) Lower f-stop (number)

SHUTTER SPEED is a measurement of time that a camera's shutter is open—allowing light, usually after it has passed through a lens and through the aperture diaphragm, to strike a photosensitive surface, like film or a digital sensor

How do you create movement in a photograph? Movement creates visual interest in a photograph. The shutter speed of a camera controls motion. The more time the shutter is open, more motion will be visible and blurry. The quicker the shutter opens and closes, the less amount of blur. The motion looks as if it has been stopped. The background can be in motion or the subject itself can be in motion.

Blurred Vision Camera movement – results when the shutter speed is too slow to hold the camera steady. Subject movement – the result of using a fast shutter speed to stop the action or a slow shutter speed to allow a blurring effect.

Common Movements to Photograph Nature in motion Dancing Athletics Vehicles or Lights People walking, etc.

Exposure Overexposure when too much light has entered the camera. this is a result from a slow shutter speed, in which the shutter was open for a long period of time, and therefore, washing out your image with light. Underexposure when not enough light has entered the camera. this is a result from a fast shutter speed, in which the shutter was not open long enough, and therefore, the image is too dark to understand, not allowing enough light to illuminate the subject.

Underexposed, shutter speed: 1600th of a second

Underexposed, shutter speed: 300th of a second

Decent exposure, shutter speed: 60th of a second

Overexposed, shutter speed: 1.3 seconds

Overexposed, shutter speed: 30 seconds