For Pete’s Sake: It’s OK to Stop Down Every Now and Then
If you shoot only with a smartphone, you’ll probably want to jump to the next story. This one is for camera nerds — people who like f/stops.
Still here? OK, I have a question: How often do you set the aperture to anything beyond wide open? Now be honest. This isn’t a political poll; you can tell the truth.
I have noticed among those who take pictures with prime optics attached to interchangeable lens cameras that we (yes, I’m including myself) get stuck on creating shallow depth of field for everything.
We like those creamy textures that make our subjects pop. If we’re lucky, there’s a little bokeh thrown in there as well. I’ve had more than one photographer tell me, “I didn’t spend all that money on a wide aperture lens to shoot at f/8.” Fair enough.
But sometimes we need a little depth of field, and this is especially true when we get close to our subject. Macro photography is a whole different ball game. This becomes even more true when you are holding the camera instead of using a tripod. (Yes, I have a tripod in the trunk of the car… somewhere in there… I think.)
Plus, things move in the breeze. People teeter back and forth. All of this affects the focus of our pictures.
