How can I keep both my subject and the background sharp?
Asked 5/2/2017
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I’m using a Nikon D5300 with the 18-140mm lens. When photographing a person with mountains and a lake behind them, I often get either the subject sharp and the background blurry, or the background sharp and the subject less sharp. I’ve mostly been shooting in Auto mode. What settings or techniques should I use to keep both the subject and the background in focus?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
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A possibility is to put your camera in an 'aperture priority' mode, which is some form of auto mode with the exception that you are in charge of the aperture. (Aperture influences the depth of field, causing blurry foregrounds/backgrounds) Once in that mode you can close down the aperture (increasing the number). By closing down you allow the dept of field to increase, and in that case getting more of your view in focus.
Some notes to keep in mind: when you are at the wide end of your lens (18mm) and you focus on the subject in front of the mountain using a smal aperture, you are more likely to have everything in focus. When using the telephoto end of your lens (140mm) and focus on the subject, chances are only the subject and nearby object might be in focus due to the compression cause by the telephoto propertie (but that is another topic).
Originally by user49190. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user49190
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes. What you want is greater depth of field.
A good way to do this is to switch from Auto to Aperture Priority mode and choose a smaller aperture, which means a higher f-number such as f/11, f/16, or even f/22 if needed. A smaller aperture increases the range that appears acceptably sharp.
A few things also help:
- Use the wide end of your lens (closer to 18mm), not the telephoto end. Wider focal lengths give more depth of field.
- Don’t stand extremely close to your subject if you want the distant background sharp too.
- Focus carefully; for landscapes with a foreground subject, focusing at or near the hyperfocal distance can help keep more of the scene sharp.
At 140mm, it is much harder to keep both a nearby subject and distant mountains sharp. At 18mm with a small aperture, it becomes much easier.
Keep in mind that using a smaller aperture may require a slower shutter speed, so you may need a tripod or higher ISO in lower light.
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