Depth of Field

Depth of Field is the second project in Photography I and focuses on how focus and lens settings shape visual emphasis within an image. Students create a series of four photographs, each demonstrating a different depth of field—from extremely shallow focus to deep, sharp focus—while learning how aperture, focal length, and subject distance work together.

This project challenges students to think intentionally about what they want viewers to notice and why. By controlling what is sharp and what falls out of focus, students begin using the camera as a compositional tool rather than a recording device. The images in this gallery highlight growing technical control and an emerging understanding of how focus can guide attention, create mood, and strengthen visual storytelling.