depth of field

Whether you’ve taken a class in photography/videography or not, the odds are that you know what the depth of field is. In simple terms, it’s the middle ground between whatever is closest to you and whatever is the most far away. If you choose to focus on what’s close, then that farther distance is blurry. If you focus on what is far… whatever is close is blurry.

A depth of field where only the hiker is in focus.

A depth of field where everything is in focus.

When it comes to art, depth of field is a powerful tool to frame what you want your audience to see. Particularly in a photograph, depth of field can change the same composition dramatically.

The thing is… depth of field is in our every day. Yes - literally. But also metaphorically. We can only ever truly focus on one thing at a time.

Now, this isn’t a scientific piece on multitasking or anything like that. After all, we are much more complex than a glass lens or a camera sensor. We are not just experiencing a single sense - like an image. However, the way that we process a single thought… now that’s where depth of field comes in to play.

When it comes to each thought, I believe there is a certain power when we act like a lens.

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Have you ever had a day where you still had to do something after experiencing some particularly difficult thought? I’m sure it happens all the time, to varying degrees. I remember going in to school the day we put my first dog down; or trying to help another customer after someone was incredibly rude. Sometimes a single action or expression can linger in our minds long after the actual event. Whatever you were experiencing before is now crowding the frame - there is something in the foreground and the background.

You might say, “Well, if something is blocking your shot, just move.” Some people have the same sentiment about thoughts - just think differently. However, moving might change the whole picture or just be impossible. The same goes for a thought; it can’t just be forgotten.

And eventually, the choices that you make in where to focus those photographs can become part of a style that is unique to you. The real art is the ability to change that focus, because sometimes we will find beautiful moments but won’t be able to control everything in a frame.

You might not always like all of the thoughts that pop up, but if you can practice arranging them in a way that suits you, you’ll hopefully create a beautiful gallery - something full of depth and charm.

Fortune favors 🤞