32 BAS I C S
The Right Aperture
Challenge
Focus your attention
A wide aperture ensured that
the child in the background
was not overly distracting from
the main figure in this shot.
for your Scene
Sometimes a prominent background in
your photograph gives it an interesting
dynamic; it might provide a beautiful
backdrop, or interact with the subject
to give it context. In these instances,
you’ll want a relatively deep depth of
field to your images, which you achieve
using a small aperture. At other times,
you might prefer a shallow depth of
field. Perhaps the background is
distracting or unpleasant, or you want
to enhance your subject in a more
creative way. By using a larger aperture,
you create a shallow depth of field.
CHALLENGE 33
For this challenge, I want you to go
to one extreme or the other—either
completely isolate your subject against
a blurry background with a shallow
depth of field, or include lots of detail
of distant backgrounds and far-away
objects by using a deep depth of field.
The key is to support your main
subject, either way. Don’t forget to use
the other techniques that we’ve already
looked at to bring out the best in your
photograph: Identify your subject, place
it carefully, and use an appropriate
frame orientation.
Sharp from near to far
Challenge This seascape, on the other
Checklist hand, needed a narrow
aperture to ensure everything
from the nearby palm leaves
R 
Ensure that your camera
to the distant horizon was
is set to Manual (M) or
in sharp focus, with a deep
Aperture Priority (A or Av)
depth of field.
exposure mode.
R Identify the largest and
smallest apertures of
your lenses.