Focusing in photography

Focus means how sharp the image is. This can be used to emphasise a certain point - for instance by focusing on an object close to the camera or further away. This can create meaning in an image.

Depth of field

Depth of field means how much of the image is in focus. A photograph might have:

• narrow depth of field, where only a small part of the image is in focus
• larger depth of field, where everything is in focus

Depth of field is controlled by the aperture. A larger aperture means a narrower depth of field.