Selecting Lens Characteristics

Focal length and aperture settings for depth of field, distortion, and optical effect.

Focal Length

• 85mm lens — portrait standard, flattering compression, minimal distortion
• 50mm lens — natural perspective, no compression or wide effect
• 35mm lens — slight wide angle, environmental context, subtle distortion
• 135mm lens — heavy compression, strong background separation, portrait

Aperture & Depth of Field

• f/1.4 — extreme shallow depth of field, creamy bokeh
• f/1.8 — pronounced shallow depth, smooth background blur
• f/2.8 — moderate shallow depth, more scene context in focus
• shallow depth of field — blurred background, sharp subject focus
• bokeh — aesthetic background blur quality
• lens blur — smooth, rounded background blur

Specialty Techniques

• tilt-shift — selective focus, miniature effect, horizontal band of sharpness
• macro lens — extreme close-up detail magnification, extreme depth compression