Learning About Photography

Yesterday I asked a friend of mine who takes beautiful pictures how she managed to make the subject part of a picture sharp and the background blurry. She explained to me that basically what is needed is a shallow depth of field.

Doing research in some other place I learned that the depth of field is the distance in front of or behind the subject that will be in focus.

So my friend explained to me that in order to get a shallow depth of field I needeed a length with a wide aperture, I needed to be close to the subject, have a long focal length, and of course an SLR camera which I don't have.

Then I did some more research and learned that the aperture is the hole of the iris of the camera. And the larger the aperture means more light reaches the light sensor and vice-versa.

And since I don't have an SLR camera I researched on how to obatain the same results of a blurry background and sharp subject. I learned I could obtain similar results with my point-and-shoot digicam by using the digital-macro or flower setting. The digital-macro or flower mode changes from distant to close-up modes. I learned that it is more like a filter than an aperture setting.

I-ve tried to obatain this effect which by the way is called "selective focus" with no success, and my camera just ran out of batteries. So, while it's charging, I'm taking the time to write these thoughts so I can retain and organize on mind this information much better.

By the way my mommy read my mind today, and sent me an online photography course by e-mail. Thanks mami!