More About Focal Lenghts

A common question I get is why doesn't my lens display a narrow depth of Field? I want to get the effect of a blurred background. I tried the largest apature I have and it still doesn't give me that effect.

That's probably because the shorter the focal length of the lens, the greater the depth of field. Say you use a telephoto lens at 200mm to photograph to objects 5 feet apart. If you focus on the first subject, the rear subject would be out of focus. Thus, you have created an effect that isolates the subject and blurs the background.

However, if you used a lens with a focal length of 55mm at the same distance with the subjects in the same location, the subject in the background will be sharper. You are unable to get the desired effect of blurring the background to isolate the subject. You would need a telephoto lens to get this effect.

If you ever decide to upgrade your camera, I would consider upgrading your lens first. A lens of 70-200mm will give you more flexibility with Depth of Field while giving you more perspectives to choose from. Perspectives are affected by the lens-to-subject distance.

The Puffer

I heard about a cheap alternative to buying an external flash called The PUFFER on the Digital Photography Show Podcast. Invented by Gary Fong, The Puffer clips on to the hot-shoe slot of digital cameras with a pop-up flash defusing the flash thus softening the light. Often when using the camera's pop-up flash you get a harsh shine on the subject. With this inexpensive gadget for under $30 (including shipping), you can take better portraits, shots of people at events and closeups of objects. You can purchase the Puffer on Gary Fong's web site at
http://store.garyfonginc.com/puf-01.html