ok so im slowly geting the hang of my dslr and this may seem like a beginner question but i really need pointing in the right direction.
ok i have a shot in my head that i want to do but when i take this shot i want a smallish item in focus and the rest of the photo blurred ......
when i played with my camera indoors i cant seem to get the focus solely on the small object and blurr the rest ... so what do i need to increase or decrease to get this effect ?
ive only got the standard 18-55 lens if thats any baring on the subject
sorry if i sound stupid im really not ...... well sometimes im not !!
the idea might not even work but i want to try it just incase
ok size wise about the size of a soda can ........ the item will be ground level , i want it to stand out from the background i would be about elbow to finger tip away from the item :)
Hi! What you're referring to is depth of field (dof). You're after a small dof and the easiest way to achieve that is to set a large aperture (which is a small f number). The easiest way to achieve this is to set your camera to aperture priority mode (av on Canon, not sure on others!) and set the aperture number as low as it will go. You can also maximise the effect by being a bit further away from your object and zooming into it, this will also help to throw the background out of focus. Hope that helps :-)
@kath_wood ~ perfect thankyou !!! thats what i needed to know :) so aperture priority and small f number :) ...... now to play with the camera again , hopefully i will be able to try that shot in my head this week :) thankyou :)
my only issue now is how the neighbours are going to react to my laying on my belly in the middle of the street while the kids watch out for cars !! hehe !!
@flamez do you have a zoom lens? I was going to suggest what Kath said about being further away and zooming in to focus. That's when I've gotten my best bokeh shots - most of the time, they just happen because I'm so focused on the subject, and I see the bokeh when I load everything on to the computer. Good luck!!
@flamez
As another relative newcomer to DSLR I also understand where you are coming from. I have also found that being a bit further away and zooming in is a great way to achieve the depth of field and blurry background that you are looking for. My best investment has been a Tamron 28-300 zoom lens (bought it for our overseas trip) and it now seems to stay permanently on the camera. My best shots (butterfly, dragonfly, roses etc) have been with this lens and zooming in from a greater distance. Hope this helps.....
Sorry havent read previous reply's but use manual focus, big aperture, and just play around wiht different settings, but those 2 are the main things you need to do. I get these best shots with a 50mm
I didn't read any of the other replies. Your talking about getting a shallow depth of field. To get this you need to have the lowest aperture your lens can go to...a 3.5 if its the 18-55. But the aperture wont do it all. The lower your focal length the more dof you will have. So if you zoom all the way in to 55mm with your lens and stay as low of an aperture you can you will get that "blurred" background.
Thank you so much for asking this question as I was playing with the camera settings today trying to something very similar and failing. Back to practicing with these great pointers.
@flamez thanks for asking this question !!! I was only reading up on it last night, trying to figure it out.
Thanks to everybody chipping in to answer. It has helped me so much .
As Barbara said "back to practicing" thanks
When I got my 50mm 1.4 (canon...very reasonably priced if you are shooting w/ Canon) it changed the world for me and blurred backgrounds. I now shot more with my 24-70 for my child portraits, but when you reach the point where you are able to, your lens change will open up a whole new world of possibilities. You do so well with even just a point and shoot I can't wait to see what else you do!
Everyone has already said it, the lowest f-number on lens that you can achieve. If it's a kit lens it's prob 4.5 or 5.6 something like that. However, everyone left out the most important part. The further your background is from your subject, the more blur you will get. If you have your son positioned a few feet from a wall, the wall will be in focus no matter how much you adjust your aperture but if he is 10 or 15 feet from the wall, then you're good to go and it will be out of focus. You will also need good lighting otherwise your camera will not allow you to open your lens to the widest point (unless of course you increase you ISO).
In short, lowest f-number possible and have your subject a good distance from the background you want blurred.
I would also suggest you take a look at (if you have a Canon) their 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8. I take most of my shots with my 50mm and it's the cheapest lens in my bag. Sub £100 in the UK. As it's name suggests, it'll take the aperture waaay down to f/1.4 or f/1.8 depending on whether you get the slightly more expensive one or not.
It's a prime lens so YOU have to move around to get the composition, and not rely on the lens to zoom in and out (cos there is no zoom) but it produces very sharp images. Hopefully you'll get the blur you're looking for.
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http://my3boybarians.com/2010/12/how-to-holiday-lights-bokeh-tutorial/
It helped me understand how to achieve this look.
Hope it helps.
As another relative newcomer to DSLR I also understand where you are coming from. I have also found that being a bit further away and zooming in is a great way to achieve the depth of field and blurry background that you are looking for. My best investment has been a Tamron 28-300 zoom lens (bought it for our overseas trip) and it now seems to stay permanently on the camera. My best shots (butterfly, dragonfly, roses etc) have been with this lens and zooming in from a greater distance. Hope this helps.....
Thank you so much for asking this question as I was playing with the camera settings today trying to something very similar and failing. Back to practicing with these great pointers.
Thanks to everybody chipping in to answer. It has helped me so much .
As Barbara said "back to practicing" thanks
Cant wait to see your photos flamez
In short, lowest f-number possible and have your subject a good distance from the background you want blurred.
cant wait to try this out now !
It's a prime lens so YOU have to move around to get the composition, and not rely on the lens to zoom in and out (cos there is no zoom) but it produces very sharp images. Hopefully you'll get the blur you're looking for.