Shallow focus is a photographic and cinematographic technique incorporating a small depth of field. In shallow focus one plane of the image is in focus while the rest is out of focus. Shallow focus is typically used to emphasize one part of the image over another.

Shallow focus is an effective shot that can gravitate the attention of the audience to a specific character or object, often aligning to the canon of the narrative, subliminally highlighting the significance of the chosen focus in a scene.