- If you're just starting out shooting your own footage
on your phone or a more advanced camera, like a DSLR,
the one thing you would want to pay attention to
is what part of your frame your camera focus is set to
and how you are using depth of field
to ensure your audiences experience your video
the same way as you would want them to.
Depth of field is what makes your favorite YouTuber stand up
from their background,
when they're talking to you in a tutorial video,
just like this,
and that's what lets you experience their blogs
as if you're in them walking hand-in-hand
in their adventures and misadventures.
So in this video, we are going to break down three types
of camera focus that are most frequently used
by pro creators and filmmakers and how you can mix
and match them to create depth of field in your shots.
Sounds useful?
Let's jump right in.
Let's start by understanding what exactly is depth of field
and the role it plays in bringing
out the narrative of your video.
Simply put, it's the space between the closest
and the farthest object that are clearly visible
in your frame,
and how this space can be used
to convey various emotional state
by altering what and how the camera focuses on.
For example, when you showcase the subject
and the background objects with equal clarity,
you are said to have a deep depth of field,
since the distance between the nearest
and the farthest objects that are clearly visible
in your frame is significant.
Deep depth of field,
also called as deep focus is typically used
for establishing context for your audience
and helping them understand the relationship
of your subject with its Soundings.
Is your subject running towards a beach in a travel blog?
Or is he addressing an audience on stage?
Or are they just lost in a crowd full of people?
On the other hand,
when you showcase your subject
in clarity and blurred the background,
you are said to have a shallow depth of field,
since the only object in the frame is your subject
and that is placed quite close to the camera.
Shallow depth of field,
also called shallow focus is typically used
to guide your audience's attention to your subject
as is the case with this video,
where you notice that the background is blurry
and only that I'm in complete focus
which helps you pay attention to me and what I'm seeing.
But had we shot this video would be focus,
you'd see that there's a lot of elements in the background
that you'd be tempted to pay attention to,
making my job more difficult to retain your attention
to the content of the video.
As you would have guessed by now,
shallow focus is used in explainer videos on YouTube,
interview videos, as well as product videos,
where you would want to focus on the finer details
of your product.
We cover how you can create depth of field
with your camera later in this video.
But, before that,
let's cover the different types of focus you can use
in your shot.
We already spoke about deep focus,
where all elements of your frame, the foreground,
the middle ground, and the background are in sharp focus.
And we touched upon shallow focus
where you keep a small area of your frame in focus
and blur the rest to highlight a detail
or make your subject the center of attention.
But with both these shots,
you're keeping your focus consistent throughout.
In the first case,
your shot shows all elements in your frame
with precise clarity, and the second frame,
the focus is only on your subject.
So let's cover a technique
that allows you to change your focus
and depth of field in the middle of the shot.
We call this rack focus.
It's the art of transitioning your shallow depth of field
between different objects in the shot,
and can be your best friend
in terms of guiding the audience's eye to shift focus
from one object to another and back.
It's a super effective way to show your subjects POV
or highlight a detail temporarily in your frame
that your audience wouldn't have noticed, otherwise.
If you're creating a product commercial
and have a moving subject,
you will often need to use this technique
to shift your focus from the person in the frame,
to your product and back to the person,
so that you can seamlessly create a connection
between these elements without cutting the shot.
Now, let's quickly understand how do you create deep
or shallow focus in your shots
by using the aperture settings in your camera.
Your aperture settings basically denotes the extent
to which your lens is open to allow light to come in.
It's usually denoted by an F-stop number
such as F1.3 or F3.5.
If you're completely new to using manual settings
on your phone or your DSLR camera,
all you need to remember is
that the higher the F-stop number, such as F5.6, F6.3 or F8,
the deeper the depth of field.
On the other hand,
the lower the F-stop number, such as F2.8, F2.2 or F1.8,
the shallower the depth of field.
If you want to create deep focus and showcase all elements
in your frame with utmost clarity,
shoot with higher F-stop.
And if you want to solely focus on your subject
and create a shallow focus shoot with lower F-stop.
With that, you now have an in-depth understanding
of depth of field
and how you can use it to your advantage
to make your shot stand out
and create an immersive storytelling experience
from your first frame.
Did you find this video useful?
What was your biggest takeaway from it?
Please do share your feedback in the comments below
so that we actually understand if we are helping you out
and adding value to your video creation process.
And if you want to delve deeper
into different types of camera movements that you can use
to create cinematic videos,
you would definitely want to check out this video next.
This is Christine from InVideo,
and I will see you in the next one.