Brace yourself for the stupidest question ever.

[tolyto]

I wouldn't ask this if I hadn't racked my brain and instruction manual a hundred times already. This will "out" me as the total ignoramus novice that I am (and that is okay). I know it is the stupidest question - but I need to ask it.

Okay.

Let's say for example that I want to take a picture of a bowl of fruit.

And I want the entire shot in focus.

If I let the camera adjust the AF points, it will pick the area to focus. If I set the manual point it will only focus on that one point. How do I get the WHOLE picture in focus?

Do I step back and then just crop the photo post-process to just get the bowl of fruit?
Am I too close to my subject to get it entirely in focus?

I'm shooting with a Canon 50D, 18-135mm lens. No, I don't shoot in automatic.

Please be gentle.

I know it's a stupid question...I'm an educated woman, I promise. I just can't figure this one out.

Thanks.

[OsmosisStudios]

Smaller aperture.

The aperture setting you use does 2 things: controls the amount of light enters the lens and controls the amount of a scene is in focus (Depth of Field, or DoF).

If you want shallow DoF (less in focus) you use small numbers (larger openings). If you want a deeper DoF (more in focus) you use larger number (smaller openings).

Focus method doesn't really matter.

[tolyto]

YES! I knew it was something simple! I've focused so much on learning about shallow DoF for the "blurry background" effect - I didn't do the math to figure that a larger aperture would put more in focus.

Thank you! You've made my day!

[edbayani]

os is right about the dof. also since you have a variable focal length, 18 to 135, you can use a shorter focal length together with the smaller aperture can also help in creating a deeper dof.
shorter focal lengths have better dof than longer ones.

[wulf]

Originally Posted by tolyto

YES! I knew it was something simple! I've focused so much on learning about shallow DoF for the "blurry background" effect - I didn't do the math to figure that a larger aperture would put more in focus.

It is a bigger number but the standard way of referring to it is a smaller aperture because it represents a small hole for the light to pass through. It is probably best to get used to that way of speaking about things because otherwise you might misinterpret when people talk about stopping down (eg. from f/5.6 to f/8) and opening up (eg. from f/8 to f/5.6)).

Wulf

[tolyto]

Ah yes, thank you Wulf. Larger number, SMALLER aperture. I will get this lingo down eventually!

Thanks!

[Ania Photo]

Don't feel bad, aperture is not easy to get at first because it is so backwards, we have all been there. It took a while for me to wrap my brain around. You'll get it.

I hope you post some of your photos on here so we can see it.

[BCampbell]

This is a great explanation, check the section called "controlling depth of field".

[Brian Mullins]

Also be aware that your distance to the bowl of fruit has a huge impact on your DoF as well. If you are 6 inches away, F2.8 & f16 will look quite similar.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by Brian Mullins

If you are 6 inches away, F2.8 & f16 will look quite similar.

Nope: even at Macro range, f/2.8 and f/16 are VERY different. Even f/2.8 and f/4 are HUGE differences.