Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs

Shallow depth of field

Stand out by being shallow

For other examples:

Alkan Hassan p. 21

Slinkachu p. 46

Youngjun Koo p. 96

Here, Sebastião Salgado gives his subject a striking sculptural presence by making the lines of the man’s body so clearly defined against an out-of-focus background. This effect is called a shallow depth of field. See how it causes us to be drawn to the intensity of the man’s stare and his powerful, muscular frame covered with scarring and white ash.

To achieve a shallow depth of field select ‘Aperture Priority’ and a wide open aperture (low f-number).

By throwing an area of your image out of focus you’re effectively getting rid of detail. This causes your subject to really stand out. As seen here, a shallow depth of field ...