Blurred background....?

[AliasPros]

get far away from your subject and zoom all the way in on them like a head shot, did this with my 70-300 cheapy kit lens and got Bokeh every time even in automatic mode...

 

[KmH]

get far away from your subject and zoom all the way in on them like a head shot, did this with my 70-300 cheapy kit lens and got Bokeh every time even in automatic mode...

What you keep calling bokeh is actually, "Depth-Of-Field."

 

[AUS-10]

Im pretty sure he knows dude....

 

[Dominantly]

It can be done with just about any lens. Of course the wider the aperture (smaller the f/stop value) the easier it is. But you don't need a super fast lens to get the effect. You can do it with just about any aperture setting really.

Use your 200mm max focal length lens. Set a target out there and get close enough to fill the frame up. Set your aperture to your widest setting (smallest f/stop number). Take a shot.

Here's a sample I did a while back. This was shot at F/5.6 and 200mm.

Here's the same basic setup, this time at f/8 and 200mm:

Exactly what I was going to say, and I was going to post a similar photo for comparison.

 

[AliasPros]

Your right... In optics, particularly as relates to film and photography, the depth of field (DOF) is the portion of a scene that appears acceptably sharp in the image. Although a lens can precisely focus at only one distance, the decrease in sharpness is gradual on each side of the focused distance, so that within the DOF, the unsharpness is imperceptible under normal viewing conditions.

In some cases, it may be desirable to have the entire image sharp, and a large DOF is appropriate. In other cases, a small DOF may be more effective, emphasizing the subject while de-emphasizing the foreground and background. In cinematography, a large DOF is often called deep focus, and a small DOF is often called shallow focus.

The DOF is determined by the subject distance (that is, the distance to the plane that is perfectly in focus), the lens focal length, the lens f-number, and the format size or circle of confusion criterion.

(wikipedia)

 

[AUS-10]

Heres my leaf! Shot with the 18-55 Kit lens.

 

[DScience]

I think I am going to do some experimenting this weekend. Everyone is always talking about how longer focal lengths give you a shallower dof, but I'm not completely convinced. Especially on the lenses with variable apertures. I'll do some experimenting this weekend and post the results.

I don't even think this point is arguable. More like a fact than an opinion.

 

[KmH]

I think I am going to do some experimenting this weekend. Everyone is always talking about how longer focal lengths give you a shallower dof, but I'm not completely convinced. Especially on the lenses with variable apertures. I'll do some experimenting this weekend and post the results.

I don't even think this point is arguable. More like a fact than an opinion.

It's even more pointed than that. It's a physical law of nature.

One of those dastardly, immutable, unbreakable, Laws of Physics.

 

[Natural_Disaster]

Thanks again everyone! Below is a pic i took with a friends Nikon (?) about a year ago. I had no clue what i was doing, she already had it set up and was just letting me take some shots.
Feel free to give feedback on the photo, even though the settings had nothing to do with me!

 

[Dominantly]

Should have moved it to the right a bit so you wouldnt have cut off her fingers.

 

[Natural_Disaster]

Yeah i was a bit upset about the fingers

 

[Alter_Ego]

So this effect can only be achieved with lens?

I wont be able to do this with a superzoom camera?

If not theres always photoshop but id prefer the effect to be achieved with the camera.

 

[Gaerek]

So this effect can only be achieved with lens?

I wont be able to do this with a superzoom camera?

If not theres always photoshop but id prefer the effect to be achieved with the camera.

I'm guessing by superzoom, you mean a point and shoot, and not a DSLR? The problem with P&S's is that they have a very small sensor (look at your pinky nail, and that's about the size on most, give or take. Smaller sensors make it more difficult to do than with a larger sensor. I won't say it's impossible, but it's going to be far more difficult than even a DSLR with a cropped sensor.

 

[robertwsimpson]

I think I am going to do some experimenting this weekend. Everyone is always talking about how longer focal lengths give you a shallower dof, but I'm not completely convinced. Especially on the lenses with variable apertures. I'll do some experimenting this weekend and post the results.

I don't even think this point is arguable. More like a fact than an opinion.

I think I am going to do some experimenting this weekend. Everyone is always talking about how longer focal lengths give you a shallower dof, but I'm not completely convinced. Especially on the lenses with variable apertures. I'll do some experimenting this weekend and post the results.

I don't even think this point is arguable. More like a fact than an opinion.

It's even more pointed than that. It's a physical law of nature.

One of those dastardly, immutable, unbreakable, Laws of Physics.

Please read and comment.

 

[gsgary]

What you want is a 300mmF2.8L on a 5D
Shot at F3.2 ISO3200 thats what you call shallow DOF