Aperture & pics for beginner

lizne · Nov 10, 2009

Hi, I am a newbie to photography have always loved it but never had anything more than a very basic camera, I recently looked into getting a new camera and after several weeks of dilema rather than buy a DSLR I thought it would be best for my tiny brain to begin with a bridge camera wow am I pleased I did because this is blowing my brains let alone anythig any more complicated.

Anyway my question is: How does one take the type of photograph where the subject is crystal clear but the surroundings are faded or blurry almost, I love these type of pictures I have tried and tried to create it but to no avail help please I just cant read the instruction book any more.

I have a Fuji Finepix s1500 I am frustrated want to be brilliant already need to get some patients I think.

Please any help would be so gatefully recieved.

IgsEMT · Nov 10, 2009

What you are referring to is called shallow depth of field - Bokeh.
It is achieved by shooting at wide open apertures. According to your camera you set aperture to f/2.8 and have a blast.
Alternatively, AlienSkin has a plugin for photoshop and you can use that in post processing.
Good Luck

Lyncca · Nov 10, 2009

IgsEMT said:
AlienSkin has a plugin for photoshop and you can use that in post processing.

Bad!

Try to do it in camera first. Not only is it easier, it is hard to replicate it accurately. Plus, isn't the point to learn your camera? The first advice was good; or if you have a portrait mode, that will do it as well. I don't like to use the "cheat" buttons, but they are helpful when you are first learning

Good luck!

Lyncca · Nov 10, 2009

lizne said:
Hi, I am a newbie to photography have always loved it but never had anything more than a very basic camera, I recently looked into getting a new camera and after several weeks of dilema rather than buy a DSLR I thought it would be best for my tiny brain to begin with a bridge camera wow am I pleased I did because this is blowing my brains let alone anythig any more complicated.

Anyway my question is: How does one take the type of photograph where the subject is crystal clear but the surroundings are faded or blurry almost, I love these type of pictures I have tried and tried to create it but to no avail help please I just cant read the instruction book any more.

I have a Fuji Finepix s1500 I am frustrated want to be brilliant already need to get some patients I think.

Please any help would be so gatefully recieved.

And yes, patience is certainly learned with photography; whether it being to learn everything, AFFORD everything, or just sitting there waiting for 2 hours to the perfect sunset; only to find it was meh. Over and over. LOL

The good side of not having patience is you can soar ahead of many others if you are driven. I got my first DSLR less than 2 yrs ago (I couldn't spell DSLR then) and I've been shooting people about 1.5 yrs. Not very long really.

DennyCrane · Nov 10, 2009

Take a LOT of pictures at the largest aperture size you can (lowest f/number). Use the camera's aperture priority (AV) mode if you can. Leave shutter speed out of the equation for now. Let the camera worry about that. Concentrate on getting the focus on your subject right, while being aware of what's in front and behind. That should all be blurred. Once you get that down pat, you can play with other aperture and shutter speed settings and widen up the depth of field to include more things in focus.

Remember- lower f/number, less things in focus, higher f/number, more things in focus.

lizne · Nov 11, 2009

Wow thank you so much I am so excited will have to play more now and master this. I have 3 children one teenager and the othe 2 are 8 months and 22 months so its tricky getting my own play time but at least i can take lots of pictures of them whilst learning.

Thank you again.

Layspeed · Nov 11, 2009

Sounds like you're going to be busy...and not just with your picture taking

I would say take your time to learn (I am!) and have fun. Practicing on your kids will be fun but sometimes very difficult since they don't sit still for more than 1/2 second at a time. Have fun!

lizne · Nov 11, 2009

Oh dear I am not doing well I have been trying on and off all day but when I do manage to get the aperture to set at F2.8 the picture looks no different to when I have it set higher hmm puzzled, got to be honest its driving me scatty, I am a very driven type and nothing beats me if I set my mind to do something it will be done but this is a real challenge.

I turned the dial to A and settings to f2.8 when it would allow and then tried various shots of random things and little people but still to no avail grrrrrrrrrr and yes pesky little people just wont follow mummies rules they want to move at the last min, hey ho got heaps of pictures of the back of their heads I like to be different.

Stosh · Nov 11, 2009

The closer you get to your subject, and/or the more you zoom in on them, will give the greatest background blur. Definitely keep the f-number as low as it will go (probably f/2.8) and get closer! Good luck.

A larger format sensor (DSLR) can accomplish this background blur easier and better, but you can get OK results with what you have.

KmH · Nov 11, 2009

IgsEMT said:
What you are referring to is called shallow depth of field - Bokeh.
It is achieved by shooting at wide open apertures. According to your camera you set aperture to f/2.8 and have a blast.
Alternatively, AlienSkin has a plugin for photoshop and you can use that in post processing.
Good Luck

Understanding Depth Of Field

Just to be clear....shallow DOF and Bokeh are not the same thing.

Shallow depth of field is a function of several things:

width of the lens aperture
focal length of the lens
subject to camera distance

Bokeh is a property controled by factors like the number and shape of the aperture blades in a lens. The rounder aperture blades are produces softer bokeh and soft bokeh is desireable. Some lenses, mirror lenses in particular , produce bokeh that looks like donuts which is considered by some to be the worst kind bokeh.

KmH · Nov 11, 2009

lizne said:
Oh dear I am not doing well I have been trying on and off all day but when I do manage to get the aperture to set at F2.8 the picture looks no different to when I have it set higher hmm puzzled, got to be honest its driving me scatty, I am a very driven type and nothing beats me if I set my mind to do something it will be done but this is a real challenge.

I turned the dial to A and settings to f2.8 when it would allow and then tried various shots of random things and little people but still to no avail grrrrrrrrrr and yes pesky little people just wont follow mummies rules they want to move at the last min, hey ho got heaps of pictures of the back of their heads I like to be different.

You'll be very limited because of the lens on your camera. It's on of the big drawbacks from opting to go the bridge camera route, instead of getting a DSLR.

The lens on your camera has a variable aperture. When you zoom the aperture automatically gets smaller (a bigger number). Since the camera is only at /2.8 when at the smallest zoom, you have to get so close to your subject to get pleasely blurred DOF (depth of field) your subject fills the frame and you can't see the background.

lizne · Nov 11, 2009

A ha maybe this is why I am not managing to create the picture desired then. Oh well maybe one day I will own a dslr and maybe that day I will have gained lots of valuable experience learning with my baby bridge.

For now then its a case of trying to get some great pictures and learning all about the buttons and settings.

MrRamonG · Nov 11, 2009

Don't let a DSLR intimadate you. Once you start messing around with the controls, it becomes very easy to understand. And there are a lot of great books out there to help you out, and advice on here. Also, its digital, you can blow as many practice shots as you need.

lizne · Nov 11, 2009

Thanks, I have taken hundrends of pictures on my baby bridge camera just trying to work out what does what, have just viewed them all and I would say there are probably about a 4 that are ok ish so I do believe I have a lot to practice yet, I would love dslr but as xmas was fast approaching also I could not justify spending huge amounts whch is why I opted for the bridge for now and yes it will be a temp messure I think because I am already getting the bug for this and I not had the camera for more than a week yet.