Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with depthoffield

Minimising depth of field with a compact camera

beniamino — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:19:54 -0800

How can I minimise the apparent depth-of-field (i.e. maximise the blurriness of the background) of photos using a compact camera? I know I need to zoom in, and get as close to the subject and far from the background as possible. Is there anything else I can do? For example, will forcing ISO settings help? Would using the camera's 'Portrait' mode (or any other mode) affect depth-of-field (experimentation suggests not). The camera is a recent Canon Ixus/Elph.

Automatic Focus-Bracketing?

alms — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:01:06 -0800

Are there or will there soon be any cameras that will automatically shoot a focus-bracketed series of photos that could then be combined to create a single image with increased depth of field? More discussion of focus bracketing here, here, here, and here.

There are two steps in creating a focus-bracketed image: taking the series of photos, and combining them using image manipulation tools. It would be nice to have the first step automated.

Why does tilt-shift photography make things look tiny?

waxpancake — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:16:22 -0800

Why does our brain perceive tilt-shift photography as tiny little toy models? I'd love to know the science behind this popular effect.