What happens to the depth of field when you numerically lower your f/stop?

Lowering the f/stop number results in a shallower depth of field. The f/stop, which is the aperture setting of a camera lens, controls the amount of light that enters the camera and also affects the depth of field. When you decrease the f/stop value (for example, from f/8 to f/2.8), the aperture opens wider, allowing more light to enter the lens. This wider aperture means that less of the scene will be in focus at once, resulting in a shallower depth of field. This effect is commonly utilized in photography to achieve a blurred background, making the subject stand out sharply against a soft backdrop. Thus, adjusting the f/stop to a lower number effectively isolates the subject by diminishing the amount of the scene that remains in focus.