how do you create that blur effect?

[deekim]

I noticed a lot of people have pictures of an object some what up close, maybe mid range, and the background is blurry. how do I create that effect, and in what mode, and what settings? I can easily recreate this effect in photoshop, but I want to make it with the camera itself. please help! i got a canon powershot sx100 si
* i want to do this with a car *

 

[freeze3kgt]

if you can change you camera mode to manual or aperture and take it as "high" as it will go to like f/2 or f/4 ... something like that ... if you go to f/11 and up the blurry background thing doesnt work

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field

or google dof (depth of field)

or even try bokeh in google get some cool looking shots and maybe tutorials

a lot of theads on this already so you can try searching for dof or something like that also

 

[burstintoflame81]

Try the search button at the top, this topic has been beaten to death and tehre is a billion threads on it. Its commonly referred to as "Bokeh"

 

[KmH]

Try the search button at the top, this topic has been beaten to death and tehre is a billion threads on it. Its commonly referred to as "Bokeh"

Even though 'bokeh' is the wrong term to use.

A handy online DOF calculator is found at www.dofmaster.com.

DOF is controlled by the photographer using 4 parameters:

1. Lens focal length
2. lens aperture
3. lens to subject distance
4. subject to background distance

 

[Aye-non Oh-non Imus]

It is an effect acheived by apeture setting, camera to subject distance and subject to background distance. Most dSLR cameras can acheive this even with kit lenses. P&S cameras will struggle.

As mentioned, use the search fucntion. Also there is a thread titled 'Load of Bokeh' on TPF in Themes forum I think. Have a look.

 

[shaunly]

I don't think you'll be able to get shallow DOF with your P&S camera. P&S sensor are just simply way too small.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Plus I dont think youll get as much blur on a car, compared to a person only because you have to be farther away from the subject if you are shooting a car. Unless you just want to take a picture of a smaller object like the shift knob or something.

 

[LCARSx32]

His sx100 should be more than capable of getting a nice out-of-focus background when shooting a car. It's got a 10x optical zoom. That's a long focal range. It also has Aperture Priority mode (Av).

My recommendation is to set it to "Av" and set the value to as low as it will go. That will narrow your depth of field (DOF) and give you the desired effect. You'll want to try to stay close to the car, as well. The farther back you are from your subject, the longer your DOF will be. Since you have such a long focal length, you should be good.

 

[ghpham]

I don't think you'll be able to get shallow DOF with your P&S camera. P&S sensor are just simply way too small.

uh....sensor have nothing to do with shallow DOF.

 

[fokker]

Another way to blur the background (on a moving subject) is by panning - use a shutter speed at something like 1/50 - 1/200s, depending on how fast the object is moving, and track it through the viefinder.

 

[rusty9]

I don't think you'll be able to get shallow DOF with your P&S camera. P&S sensor are just simply way too small.

uh....sensor have nothing to do with shallow DOF.

agreed. it would be hard to get shallow DOF w/ a P&S because you don't have enough control over the settings.

 

[Dao]

I don't think you'll be able to get shallow DOF with your P&S camera. P&S sensor are just simply way too small.

uh....sensor have nothing to do with shallow DOF.

DoF varies with sensor size.

Read up more on CoC (Circle of Confusion)

 

[KmH]

uh....sensor have nothing to do with shallow DOF.

Sorry, but you're wrong.

They have a lot to do with DOF and that's why online DOF calculators have a place to select the camera type or enter a Circle of Confusion conversion factor to allow for image sensor size.

http://www.tawbaware.com/maxlyons/calc.htm

Online Depth of Field Calculator

 

[flyingember]

you need a camera with a larger sensor.

 

[deekim]

thanks for all the information, its greatly appreciated! I will test this out later today, and post pics up tomorrow