![]() That might mean kneeling down and shooting up toward your portrait subject or changing your positioning relative to the subject so you can incorporate other elements into the background.Īnother important point to consider with the background is its level of contrast. Those big blocks of color might be distracting in the background, so you'll need to take steps to adjust your shooting angle to crop them out of the shot. How to Blur the Background in Portraits in Four Simple StepsĮven with the right lens and the perfect distance, you'll still need to keep an eye on what's happening in the background of the image.įor example, if you're taking a portrait outdoors and your subject is in front of a busy street, vehicles on the street might still be distinguishable, even if they're blurred out (like the school bus in the image above).So, when framing up your portraits, minimize your distance to the subject and maximize their distance to the background to get the most pleasing bokeh effects. Likewise, the further the subject is from the background, the blurrier it will be. More specifically, the closer you are to the subject, the blurrier the background will become. The distance between your lens and the subject as well as the distance between the subject and the background also have a say in how bokeh appears. It's not just the lens that influences the quality and quantity of bokeh in a portrait. Focal Length and Field of View Explained in 4 Steps.A Beginner's Guide to Aperture and Depth of Field.That's not to say that a wide-angle lens can't create nice-looking bokeh, but it's just easier to do with a longer focal length. That means that a 135mm lens will produce more pronounced bokeh than a 24mm lens. You Want a Longer Focal LengthĪnother factor that influences depth of field - and therefore, bokeh as well - is the focal length of the lens.Īll else being equal, longer focal lengths create a shallower depth of field and larger bokeh. However, those lenses can be pricey.įor something that's a little easier on the pocketbook, try finding a lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.4, f/1.8, or f/2. ![]() That makes lenses with wide maximum apertures advantageous for creating bokeh-filled backgrounds.Īn f/1.2 lens would create the shallowest depth of field, and therefore the best bokeh, as seen in the image above. So, when shooting at f/2, you have a shallower depth of field than if you shoot from the very same spot using an aperture of f/22. The larger the aperture, the shallower the depth of field. And one of the principal factors that determine the depth of field is the aperture that's used. One of the primary factors that influence bokeh is the depth of field. When shopping for a lens, there are a couple of things you need to bear in mind, both of which I outline in detail below. Getting the right lens is the first step in creating gorgeous bokeh in your portraits. You can find great deals on pre-owned lenses at. Either of these lenses are ideal for portraits anyway, and with beautiful bokeh, the portraits you take will be that much more impressive. Step 1: Get the Right LensĮditor's Tip: You can create bokeh with any lens, but for the best quality bokeh, consider a prime lens - something like a 50mm or 85mm - with a large aperture like f/1.2 or f/1.4. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to create incredible bokeh effects that will enhance the portraits you take. See how bokeh is much more than the blurry part of the photo? What's more, bokeh can be used as a creative tool to add dimension to your shots while also helping you mask unwanted features in the background. On the other hand, several factors influence how bokeh looks, including the aperture and the focal length of the lens and the distance between you and your subject. On the one hand, there is such a thing as good and bad bokeh. If you clicked on this article, I'm assuming that you already know what bokeh is, but if not, here's a quick explanation:īokeh is the out of focus area of a photo.
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