Depth Of Field
In optics, particularly as it relates to film and photography, depth of field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image. Although a lens can precisely focus at only one distance at a time, the decrease in sharpness is gradual on each side of the focused distance, so that within the DOF, the unsharpness is imperceptible under normal viewing conditions.
In some cases, it may be desirable to have the entire image sharp, and a large DOF is appropriate. In other cases, a small DOF may be more effective, emphasizing the subject while de-emphasizing the foreground and background. In cinematography, a large DOF is often called deep focus, and a small DOF is often called shallow focus.
Read more about Depth Of Field: Circle of Confusion Criterion For Depth of Field, Factors Affecting Depth of Field, Lens DOF Scales, Zone Focusing, Hyperfocal Distance, Limited DOF: Selective Focus, Near:far Distribution, Optimal f-number, DOF Formulas
Famous quotes containing the words depth of, depth and/or field:
“Man tells his aspiration in his God; but in his demon he shows his depth of experience; and casts light into the cavern through which he worked his cause up to the cheerful day.”
—Margaret Fuller (1810–1850)
“Now as at all times I can see in the mind’s eye,
In their stiff, painted clothes, the pale unsatisfied ones
Appear and disappear in the blue depth of the sky”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“But the old world was restored and we returned
To the dreary field and workshop, and the immemorial feud
Of rich and poor. Our victory was our defeat.”
—Sir Herbert Read (1893–1968)