Taking Brilliant Photos. Defocusing background

Taking Brilliant Photos

Technical Tips for newbie light hunters

Tip 1: “Defocusing background”

About

Sharp object of image and blurred aka unfocused/defocused background – amazing photo effect to make maximum attention to subject   of shooting. This type of shooting is useful for “close up” portraits and romantic compositions, or any images when necessary to pay attention exactly for subject of shutting, but not to scene in general.

Task

Make narrowed depth of field to get only object focused

What you need

1. Camera with ability to switch to manual mode and lens exchange.
2. Bright lens like with maximum aperture F1.4, F2, F2.8 (if less, harder to rich effect discussed here)
3. Enough scene light at all, or higher subject light cover against background (in low light conditions)

Keys

1. Keep aperture opened to maximum, align exposition by shutter speed to catch enough amount of light, or make higher ISO if not enough light of scene.
2. Keep subject of shooting as far of background as possible to keep in focus only subject, or be close enough to subject, but keep in mind composition and natural means of light and subject position.
3. Pay attention to lens characteristics: most of success in this method are reached with lens focal lengths about 75mm and 100mm

What to do

1. Install lens selected.
2. Switch camera to manual mode.
3. Set auto focus mode to spot to avoid camera to capture unnecessary background elements.
4. Open aperture to maximum. If you cannot reach maximum aperture supported by lens, change ISO to higher.
5. Adjust shutter speed to make correct exposure of scene and object.
6. Focus on object, adjust distance between camera and object (zoom in, if lens supported, or just make few steps closer), and, if not damaging your composition, move your object closer to camera far of background.
7. Shoot.

Success scene conditions

1. For mid and high light conditions: Background is bright enough like shiny water, bright walls, etc.
2. For low light conditions: Background is dark enough, but focused object is in enough light

What to understand

Lager aperture produces narrower depth of field. Lenses of longer focal lengths a much more capable of producing narrowed depth of field. So, depth of field is golden key for this method, and aperture and focal length of lenses are major “instruments” to reach this effect.