6. When It’s Good to Be Shallow
A shallow depth of field is more than just a bit of pretty bokeh (you know, those dreamy spots of out-of-focus color and light). Think of it as makeup or cosmetics for your environment: It can cover a multitude of sins. It can transform a messy background into nothing more than splotches of color. It teaches you to start looking at possible backgrounds like an impressionist painter might. Try it out. Pick up your camera with a lens longer than 50mm, and crank the focus to its most shallow point. Now look around you. Everything that you see is a possible backdrop for you. Having a shallow depth of field frees you from the limitations of what is simply visible to the naked eye.
Legendary Pink Dots
In the setup shot, ...
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