Let me start off by saying that I know but a mere fraction of all there is to know about photography. Two years ago, I may have known a centimeter’s worth…and now, perhaps an inch…but I’ve got about 17 feet left that I don’t know! I love to constantly learn more and more, practice what I’m learning, and get better at this art. The reason for writing this post is not that I think I’m the one to consult for all things photography, but because I want to willingly and openly share the few things I have learned. I love fellow photographers like Jasmine Star and Tasra Dawson, who constantly teach and give back. If I have anything at all to teach or give, I’m here. I’m an open book.
So, with that said, I want to share a few tips on a question I often get asked by friends or family: How do you get that blurry background? Especially for portraits, a background that’s all out of focus can be quite appealing, and it draws your attention away from the background and onto your subject.
Here are a few quick tips you can try:
1. Pull your subject farther away from the background. So many times, we see a pretty bush or tree, and plant our subject a foot or two in front of it. What are you going to get? A picture of a pretty tree with a person standing there, not a nice picture of a person with a soft background. Simply pulling your subject farther away from that background will start to make the background more out of focus.
*In the 1st shot, I had the pineapple right up against the wall. Then I simply moved it a few feet away, and it made a big difference! With portraits, you should try to maintain shady or even lighting, but move your subject 10 feet (or more if you can) from the background.*
2. Get closer to your subject. To be honest, I don’t know all the science-y, technical explanations for what this does for the depth of field, but I know that it works. Obviously, you don’t want to be too close, but moving just a few inches or feet can make a big difference.
3. A little more technical: Use Aperture Priority, and adjust the number as low as it will go. (There may be an “A” or “Av” on your mode dial.) The numbers will be in decimals. Depending on your camera and your lens, the numbers may be as low as 3-something or 4-something (they go lower, but it’s usually on specialized lenses and such). All cameras should go at least as low as 5.6. The lower you go with the number, the blurrier your background will be.
——> If you don’t want to get too technical yet, or your camera doesn’t have Aperture Priority, use the Portrait setting (usually has a face icon). This will do the same thing within your camera, but your camera does the adjusting for you.
*In the first shot, the aperture was set to 7.1, and in the second one it was set to 2.8.*
Here’s what we got from the 1st shot to the last, simply by moving the subject away from the background, getting close to it, and lowering the aperture:
Thanks for reading! Hope this helped a couple of people. Let me know if you have any other questions. I’m always willing to share the little bit I know!
