What is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in focus called?

• A. Aperture
• B. Focal length
• C. Exposure
• D. Depth of field

Answer: (D)

Depth of field is the range of distances in a scene that appear acceptably sharp. It’s the distance between the nearest point and the farthest point that stay in focus in the final image. You get a larger depth of field by stopping down the aperture (using a higher f-number), using a shorter focal length, and increasing the subject distance, while a wide open aperture, longer focal length, or shooting very close to the subject shortens it. This is why landscapes often aim for a small aperture to keep almost everything sharp, whereas portraits use a wider aperture to blur the background and keep only the subject in focus.