The Flash Photography Field Guide

Use Depth of Field for Creative Effect

Many portrait photographers use shallow depth of field for creative effect when using natural light and reflectors. Some use wide apertures simply because they have to in order to get a shutter speed high enough to hold the camera by hand.

This wide aperture makes the background go soft and out of focus, putting the viewer’s attention right onto the subject. When using flash, however, the power of the light often leads photographers to stick with small apertures so that everything is in focus. You don’t have to do this, however, especially if you are using small hotshoe-style flashes that can put out very low power.

If you’re using bigger flashes, some can go very low—like Elinchrom’s Ranger Quadra series. ...