How do professional photographers make those candid portraits, where the subject is in perfect focus but the background is out of focus? Follow the instructions given and you can do it too!
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Initial Photo
Take a series of images with the lens fully open and closed with one or two stops. By shooting with various apertures, you can choose the most pleasing image.
Step 1. Fill the body of the photo with the subject (especially the head and shoulders)
- Focus directly on the eyes.
- Note: The nose, ears and eyes will be at different fire levels. At smaller apertures (f / 16, high photo), the background of a photo will be in focus. At larger apertures (f / 1, 8, low photo), the background will be blurry.
Method 2 of 4: Use Zoom
Step 1. Narrow the depth of field even further by zooming the image
To make the depth as shallow as possible, use a set of long or telescopic lenses at maximum zoom. Stay as close to the subject as possible.
Note: If you use very long lenses, this may still be a considerable distance
Method 3 of 4: Pan
Step 1. Follow a moving subject
If the subject moves, like the camera shown in the image shown, move the camera to follow the subject, which will appear in focus, while the background will be out of focus.
Step 2. Try different shutter speeds to balance the background blur with that of the subject
Try 1 / 125th of a second of speed to get started
Step 3. Keep your body and camera as still as possible
Follow the subject through the lens and make sure the camera focuses on the subject correctly. Take the picture with confidence.
This technique uses the blurred background to highlight the movement of the subject, while the background blur achieved through a shallow depth of field serves to make it stand out from the surrounding environment
Method 4 of 4: Photoshop
Step 1. You can use Photoshop as an alternative
Simply select the background and use the Blur filter. Remember that this technique does not create true depth - it blurs everything in the background evenly, rather than according to the distance from the lens. An image taken out of focus achieves an effect that will never be reproducible in Photoshop, because the data is not present. The image taken with a camera is more realistic and organic.
Step 2. If you are using an updated version of Photoshop, try using the "smart blur" option
This filter evaluates the range of pixels in the background and foreground, and gives you more control over the image. The filter is also adjustable, allowing the user to customize the photo even more.
Step 3. You are done
Advice
- This effect is caused by a shallow depth of field. In addition to image size and a large aperture, there are other factors that affect depth of field, including lens focal length and distance to the subject.
- Due to their small image size, point-and-shoot and digital cameras struggle to achieve these results. It is easier to do this with a 35mm video camera, a digital SLR camera, or a professional video camera, equipped with the lenses described above. With some long zoom point-and-shoot cameras, you can still get good background blur. Zoom in and set the aperture to the widest possible value.
- Download the Depth of Field Master Charts and select the appropriate aperture for the distance of the subject from the background. Ideally the subject will be directly on the one-third line (the true focus distance).
