Shallow Focus

Technical Details

Depth of Field Calculation:

DoF = (2 × N × C × d²) / (f² - N × C × d)

N = Aperture value (e.g., 1.4 at f/1.4)
C = Circle of Confusion diameter
 - Full Frame Cinema: 0.040mm (very small = shallower DoF)
 - Super 35mm: 0.029mm
 - Digital Cinema: 0.025mm
d = Subject distance (focus distance)
f = Focal length

Practical Examples (Full Frame):

85mm f/1.4 @ 3m distance:

• Depth of Field: ~18cm (±9cm around focus)
• Near Focus: 2.91m
• Far Focus: 3.09m
• Psychological Effect: Extreme isolation, only eyes in focus

50mm f/1.4 @ 2m distance:

• Depth of Field: ~7cm (±3.5cm around focus)
• Near Focus: 1.965m
• Far Focus: 2.035m
• Psychological Effect: Portrait intimacy

85mm f/2.8 @ 3m distance:

• Depth of Field: ~35cm (±17.5cm around focus)
• Near Focus: 2.825m
• Far Focus: 3.175m
• Psychological Effect: Face in focus, ears soft

35mm f/1.4 @ 1.5m distance:

• Depth of Field: ~5cm (±2.5cm around focus)
• Near Focus: 1.475m
• Far Focus: 1.525m
• Psychological Effect: Only part of the face in focus

Sensor Size Effect on Depth of Field:

Same optical settings – different sensors:

85mm f/1.4 @ 3m:

• Full Frame (36×24mm): DoF = 18cm
• Super 35 (24.89×18.66mm): DoF = 28cm (55% more!)
• Digital Cinema 4K (DCI: 21.6×12.1mm): DoF = 45cm
• Micro Four Thirds (17.3×13mm): DoF = 72cm

Bokeh Quality (more important than just DoF numbers):

Bokeh = Character of out-of-focus areas

Optical Factors:

• Aperture shape: Number of blades (7, 9, 11, 13)
• Number of elements: More lens elements = more complex bokeh
• Aberrations: Spherical aberrations create creamy bokeh
• Coatings: Multi-coated lenses = clean bokeh

Popular Lenses for Shallow-Focus Bokeh:

• Zeiss Master Prime (f/1.3): Creamy, soft bokeh
• Cooke S4i (f/2): Characteristic "Cooke Look" – warm bokeh
• Leica Noctilux (f/0.95): Extreme shallow-focus bokeh
• Zeiss Otus (f/1.4): Modern, clean bokeh

History & Development

Early Shallow Focus (1930s-1940s):
Paradoxically, conscious shallow-focus awareness arose THROUGH Gregg Toland's "Citizen Kane" (1941):

• Toland popularized deep focus
• But simultaneously, counter-movements (e.g., Hollywood portraits) showed that shallow focus creates psychological intimacy
• 1940s: Portrait photography with 90mm f/4 lenses established shallow focus as aesthetic

Classic Hollywood (1950s-1960s):
James Wong Howe (1899-1976) and Conrad Hall (1926-2003) established shallow focus as a dramatic element:

• Howe: Tight two-shot dialogue scenes with 85mm f/2.8 for psychological closeness
• Hall: "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969) used shallow focus for visual storytelling
• Aesthetics: Shallow focus = modern, cinematic, artistic

1970s Art Film Movement:
European and American arthouse cinemas favored shallow focus:

• "Stalker" (Tarkovsky, 1979): Selective focus for existential meaning
• "Days of Heaven" (Terrence Malick, 1978): Shallow focus for poetic distance

Digital Revolution (2000s-2010s):
Key breakthroughs:

• Canon 5D Mark II (2008): First DSLR with full-frame sensor and video capability
• Cheaper (€2,500) than cinema cameras (€50,000+)
• Enabled shallow focus for independent filmmakers
• Example: "Revolution in the Head" (2016) filmed entirely on 5D Mark II
• Sony A7 Series (from 2013): Mirrorless full-frame
• ARRI ALEXA (2010+) with full-frame sensor: Cinema-grade shallow focus option

Modern Professional Era (2015-present):

• Shallow focus becomes standard rather than exception
• "The Revenant" (2015): DP Lubezki uses extreme shallow focus with natural light
• Virtual Production: LED walls enable shallow focus use with digital backgrounds

Practical Use in Film

Emmanuel Lubezki "The Revenant" (2015):
Masterful use of shallow focus in natural landscapes:

• Focal lengths: 14-24mm wide-angle (not classic 85mm!)
• Aperture: f/1.4-f/2.0 for shallow focus despite wide-angle
• Focus targets: Often only DiCaprio's eyes in focus, face behind soft
• Follow focus: Cmotion easyRig with wireless for forest scenes
• Psychological effect: Isolation and psychological trauma visually conveyed
• Technical: Multiple focus pullers, extensive rehearsals for precise actor positioning

Roger Deakins "Blade Runner 2049" (2017):
Unorthodox shallow-focus architecture:

• Uses 21mm wide-angle at f/1.4 instead of standard 85mm
• Creates psychological unease: Shallow focus normally for closeness/intimacy, but here for dystopian loneliness in vast halls
• Split-screen focus: Left side of frame sharp (villains), right side soft (AI control)
• Psychological effect: Technology-dominated world, human marginalization

Denis Villeneuve "Sicario" (2015):
Asymmetrical shallow focus for psychological tension:

• FBI agent (Blunt) mostly sharp (focus point)
• Villain (Del Toro) often soft/partially soft (ambiguity, threat)
• Shift: Reversed in power takeover scenes
• Follow focus: Preston WCU-4 with two focus pullers
• Psychological effect: Shallow focus sharpness = visual power mapping

Terrence Malick "The Tree of Life" (2011):
Philosophical shallow focus:

• Often only details in focus: a leaf, a water droplet, rays of light
• "Bokeh meditation": Shallow focus serves meditative cinema, not psychological drama
• DP Emmanuel Lubezki: Handheld with Zeiss Master Primes f/1.3
• Psychological effect: Visual poetry over narrative

Paul Thomas Anderson "There Will Be Blood" (2007):
Extreme shallow focus as a psychological tool:

• 95mm telephoto lens at f/1.4 for extreme isolation
• Often only Daniel Day-Lewis's eyes in focus, rest of face soft
• Set props deliberately out of focus = psychological focus on inner life
• Psychological effect: Viewer in an isolated psychological space

Lynne Ramsay "You Were Never Really Here" (2017):
Fragmented shallow focus for PTSD depiction:

• Extreme close-ups with shallow focus (f/1.4 or wider)
• Image size: Often only 10% of the frame in focus
• Jump cuts between extremely different focus points
• Psychological effect: Viewer disorientation = psychological state

Richard Linklater "Before Trilogy" (1995-2013):
Dialogue shallow focus:

• Two-shot dialogue scenes with shallow focus
• Active speaker in focus, listener soft = psychological weighting
• Subtle rack-focus transitions between speakers
• Psychological effect: Visually conveyed emotional distance

Soderbergh "Magic Mike" (2012):
Shallow focus for erotic aesthetic:

• Close-ups with f/1.4 for physical intimacy
• Split focus: e.g., hip in focus, eyes soft (sexual perspective)
• Color grading enhances shallow focus effect by concentrating color on the focused element

Comparison & Alternatives

Shallow Focus vs. Deep Focus:

• Shallow: Selective attention, psychological isolation, modern
• Deep: Democratic image, contextual, classic
• Modern cinema: Hybrid approaches with targeted shallow focus moments within deep focus setups

Manual Focus Pulling vs. Autofocus:

• Manual: Artistic control, subtle transitions possible, but technically difficult
• Autofocus (with AF-C): Faster, but often imprecise for shallow focus
• Modern trend: Hybrid (autofocus with manual correction)

Shallow Focus vs. Split Diopter:

• Shallow Focus: Natural, optically pure, but binary (near or far)
• Split Diopter: Visibly artificial, but creates two planes of focus
• Use: Split diopter when two different distances AND sharpness are needed

Variable ND Filters for Shallow Focus in Daylight:

Problem: Daylight = lots of light = high aperture needed = large depth of field (undesired)
Solution: Variable ND filters (allow f/1.4 even in daylight)

ND Strengths:

• ND 2 (1 stop): Low (only slight aperture opening)
• ND 4 (2 stops): Standard
• ND 8 (3 stops): Strong
• ND 16 (4 stops): Very strong
• VND (Variable ND): ND 2-ND 400 via dial

Cost Examples (ProGrade, Tiffen, etc.):

• Single ND Filter: $200-$800
• Full Filter Set (4-6 filters): $1,200-$3,000
• Variable ND: $400-$1,200 per filter

Post-Production Focus Shifting:
Technologies that alter depth of field after shooting:

• Lytro Light-Field Camera: Raw data stores all focus positions, selectable later
• Criticism: Camera selection limited, image quality is mediocre
• AI-based Depth Mapping: Machine learning identifies depth and simulates bokeh
• Software: DaVinci Resolve Studio, Adobe Premiere (theoretically)
• Criticism: Often visible artifacts, bokeh appears artificial
• Volume Capture: Captures 3D information of all elements (only for VFX-heavy productions)
• Cost: €50,000+ per day
• Only for high-end blockbusters

Conclusion: No post-production solution replaces true optical shallow focus