create context
snap
away!
ScrapbooksEtc.com/212
Find out more about depth of
field on our photography blog.
For this shot of my daughter playing with
chalk, I revealed more of the day’s details by
showing my baby blurred in the background.
Find light. Even though the background
is out of focus, I didn’t want it to appear
shadowed or dark. Shooting outdoors on a
sunny day provided just the light I needed.
Frame wisely. I positioned my daughter off
center in the shot so the baby walker didn’t
appear as if it was growing out of her head!
The low angle also makes you feel more a
part of the scene.
—Robyn Werlich
SOURCES Camera: Canon 40D. ISO: 200. Lens: 50 mm.
Exposure: 1/750. Aperture: f1.8. Lighting: natural.
ScrapbooksEtc.com |29
Rule of thumb: The
smaller the f-stop number,
the wider the aperture, and
the more background blur.
