Board index Photography Artistic Questions How to put part of the photo out of focus / blurry?

Artistic Questions

How to put part of the photo out of focus / blurry?

Discuss style and artistic aspects of photography
samiramis
 
Posts: 16

How to put part of the photo out of focus / blurry?

Post Fri Feb 29, 2008 2:49 am


There are times where I want to photograph a person and the bkgd is ugly or too much commotion behind / next to the person. How can I focus of the person and blur the other things?

Must I use a lens with aperture close to 1?
I use a focus point in the center, but it still puts most of the frame in focus and even the ugly bkgd is clear.

Please advise! I am at a loss to answer this question!

Thank you!

jypsee
 
Posts: 1247

distance from subject to background

Post Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:48 am


is also a factor in blurring the background, if you're using a telephoto lens and the subject is not in the same focal plane as whatever is around it, you can achieve a nicely OOF background
Image
(click for a larger view)
I used a 400mm at f/5.6 for that photo.

Generally, though. you will need a faster lens (wider aperture) to get close to your subject and blur the background. This photo is made at f/3.5 which I needed to keep the subjects in focus but also knock out the background
Image
(click the photo for a larger view)

here's an example of f/1.4 on a K10D, so that the 50mm lens is operating as an 80mm lens, which is perfect for a portrait, but the background is not blurred as it would be on a FF sensor such as the 5D. The distance from the camera to the subject is also a factor here, but I was able to use f/1.4 and keep the subject in focus and the background works
Image
(click the photo for a larger view)

finally, you can use an extension tube to put the background OOF, but the DOF is razor thin, which might work for macro subjects, but it's pretty tricky with people.

HTH

sheila
 
Posts: 1303


Post Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:22 pm


Although quite technical, this link may help you to understand Depth of Field "DOF"

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutor ... /dof.shtml

Basically its stating that if you want to shoot portraits with a blurred background, shoot at f/2 to f/4 if possible. Luminous Landscape also gives you some helpful links for software which can also help get this effect.

Sheila
Sheila Smart
Canon 5D Mark III; 17-40L; 24-70 f/2.8L; 70-300 f.4-5.6 L USM; 135 f/2L; 100 f/2.8 macro; 8-15 f/4 L fisheye

Blog: http://sheilasmartphotography.blogspot.com/

ericvision
 


Post Thu Mar 06, 2008 11:11 pm


If you can't get the results you want when the lens is fully open, you can always cheat using a selection and a gaussian blur. Doing it with the lens will usually yield the best results, but sometimes the subject is too close to the background, or, especially if you are shooting with a wide-angled lens, the depth of field is too great, you can cheat a little...
Image

Image

This picture was taken as wide as the lens would go, so I couldn't make the DOF any shallower, and I couldn't move the squirrel or the background. Not as neat as jypsee's mastery of the portrait, but better than the original shot (IMO!)...[/img]


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