If you’re just starting out with photography, the concept of depth of field is one of the first ones to learn. And in this video, you’ll see it explained in the comprehensive, but also the most fun possible way – with Lego figures. Four Bricks Tall helps you grasp the concept of depth of field in only three minutes so you can improve your storytelling in toy photography or any other genre.

First things first: what is the depth of field anyway? Simply put, it’s how much of your scene is in focus. A deep depth of field is when the entire scene is acceptably sharp, and a shallow depth of field is when only a small zone is in focus, making only the main subject of the photo sharp. So, what affects your depth of field? There are three variables:

ApertureFocus distanceFocal length

Aperture

Aperture is the opening of the lens iris, determining how much light enters your lens and hits the sensor or film. The wider it is the shallower depth of field you’ll get. For example, a photo taken at a wide aperture of f/2.8 will give you a very blurry background with only a small portion of the image in focus. A narrower aperture like f/10 gives you a deeper depth of field where more of the image is in focus.

Focus distance

The closer your subject is to the lens, the shallower the depth of field will be. Notice the change in the background when the Lego dude is moved closer to the lens, shot at the same aperture and same focal length.

Focal length

Finally, there’s also the focal length. Let’s take a kit lens as an example. If you shot with the same aperture at the widest angle of 18mm, you’ll get a deeper depth of field. If you zoom all the way in to 55mm, you’ll get a shallower depth of field.

Those more experienced among you already know these basics, but I think that newbies will find this video very helpful. And if you are one of them, let us know in the comments if you enjoyed the video and the explanation. You can follow Four Bricks Tall on YouTube, Instagram, and Flickr for more fun videos and photos. [Depth of Field for Creative Storytelling | Four Bricks Tall]