New to forum! How to get that softness/out of focus look to background?!?!

[RebeccaAPhotography]

Hi!!

My name is Becky and I just joined this forum!! I have been into photography for years but decided to prusue it more in the recent yr! I purhcased a good started D-SLR and a couple of lens!!

I currently own a Canon Rebel t2i and 2 lenses, a 18-55mm and a 55-250mm.

I have never taken any classes I have been learning from expereince and looking at other photos and I've been wanting to buy some books. I have some friends who own photo businesses who are helping me along the way!

I have trouble trying to get that natural softness effect of the BACKGROUND in my photos! I want my subject to be in focus but the background to be blurry and out of focus so it really shines on my subject. Is it the lenses I'm using? Is it the settings I have it set to?

I really have been trying to keep my camera in manual mode and experiment up the cazoo!!

I know this is the place to ask!! Just rmember I am new! The last forum I was on (an Australian Cattle Dog forum)had some pretty rude and mean people! I'm just looking to gain some friends and expertise from some great people!!

Thanks!!
Becky

 

[EPPhoto]

Hi Becky, what you need is better quality lenses that will allow you the ability to shoot at f/2.8 or 1.8. However, it is possible with your current lenses. You need to open your aperture as wide as possible (lowest number) and keep your subject close to you and have your background pretty far away from your subject. This will blur out the background nicely. It's called bokeh. Welcome to the forum!

 

[RebeccaAPhotography]

Thanks!! I figured it was part of the lens issue!! Do you have any reccomendations on a good AFFORADABLE lens?? I'm making a notes section in word! I figure it will be easiest to write down all the comments you guys write and save to my comp so I can re-read and test out your input! otherwise I will get lost in my own head rofl!!

 

[LarryD]

It could be both.. A shallow depth-of-field and the nice background (bokeh) are a function of a large aperture and a long lens, so, f1.8 and 85mm will give you a nice bokeh, as will f5.6 and 400mm. Whereas f3.5 on a 50mm lens will not..

It's best to know these principles and then practice with your own equipment to know how each works for your images.. Your longer lens with it's smallest f-number will give you the best results..

 

[Destin]

A cheap affordable lens?

The 50 1.8 will do, it's somewhere around $100 I believe (I'm a nikon guy, so I'm not 100% sure)

The 85 1.8 will do better, however it's more expensive. I believe it's $300-400

 

[enzodm]

It depends also on the distance between camera, subject and background. Minimize the first, maximize the latter.

 

[Tomasko]

Becky, if you're trying to shoot a portrait, flower or something similar, you can do pretty good with your current lenses



Look at this image for instance... Shot with focal length 300mm at f/5.6 ...

 

[KmH]

Some of the information you have been given is inaccurate and/or incomplete.

What you need Becky is an understanding of depth-of-field (DOF), which is how you make a background blurry, and a blurred baclground is very different from bokeh which cannot be adjusted.

DOF is controlled by 4 things:

1. focal point to image sensor distance
2. lens focal length
3. lens aperture
4. focal point to backgraound distance.

With the right combination of those factors you can achieve a blurred background. Visit this tutorial; http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/depth-of-field.htm

Bokeh is an inherent property of how a lens is constructed, and describes the visual quality of a blurred background, but is not the blurred background itself.

A major lens construction attribute that affects bokeh is the number of aperture blades the lens has. The shape of the blades, and the shape of the blade edges, has a lot to do with the quality of bokeh a lens can produce. The higher the number of aperture blades in the lens, the closer to circular the aperture will be, and the better the quality of the bokeh.
the lens technical attribute that determines the quality of bokeh is known as the Circle Of Confusion the lens is capable of producing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_confusion

 

[RebeccaAPhotography]

KmH

Thank you! Like I said I am VERY new!! I have an eye and need to practice and I've made that very clear to the people who want me to photograph them. Thank you so much for guiding me in the right area!

Honestly even just reading other things on this site I get a little overwhelmed ROFL!! I thought I was doing ok til I came here HAHAHA!!! Hey it can only get better it takes time and practice!!

How are people when it comes to constructive criticism? Are people brutal!?! Lol.

I have quite a few pics I would love to have some criticism on

Thank for the read!

Also thanks for sending me in the right direction for another lens! 300-400 is cheap for me. At least thats what I was thinking

 

[table1349]

Good tutorial: Understanding Depth of Field in Photography

The whole tutorial: Digital Photography Tutorials Good resource to have available.

 

[MWC2]

How are people when it comes to constructive criticism? Are people brutal!?! Lol.

I have quite a few pics I would love to have some criticism on

Thank for the read!

brutal? umm I guess it depends on how think your skin is. You are NOT going to get a big pat on the back and told how great your images are, be prepared for that. I personally like getting feedback that tells me what is wrong and how to make it better. My subjects are normally ones that I am emotionally invested in, so I only see what I love. Having someone tell me that I missed the focus, my white balance is off or it just totally sucks, is great for me. Of course I normally ask how to make it better and I always listen to the advice given.

 

[Scoody]

Thanks!! I figured it was part of the lens issue!! Do you have any reccomendations on a good AFFORADABLE lens?? I'm making a notes section in word! I figure it will be easiest to write down all the comments you guys write and save to my comp so I can re-read and test out your input! otherwise I will get lost in my own head rofl!!

Get a nifty fifty prime lens. It is cheap and works well.

 

[RebeccaAPhotography]

How are people when it comes to constructive criticism? Are people brutal!?! Lol.

I have quite a few pics I would love to have some criticism on

Thank for the read!

brutal? umm I guess it depends on how think your skin is. You are NOT going to get a big pat on the back and told how great your images are, be prepared for that. I personally like getting feedback that tells me what is wrong and how to make it better. My subjects are normally ones that I am emotionally invested in, so I only see what I love. Having someone tell me that I missed the focus, my white balance is off or it just totally sucks, is great for me. Of course I normally ask how to make it better and I always listen to the advice given.

I belonged to another forum an Aussie Cattle Dog forum and from my experience of that some people are just down right nasty! I just dont want to work my butt off and make what I think is progress to have someone just tare me apart. Get what I'm trying to say?? I can take criticism I can't take some being a total jerkface to me. ??

 

[Scoody]

I belonged to another forum an Aussie Cattle Dog forum and from my experience of that some people are just down right nasty! I just dont want to work my butt off and make what I think is progress to have someone just tare me apart. Get what I'm trying to say?? I can take criticism I can't take some being a total jerkface to me. ??

You have not seen brutal unless you have participated on a sportbike board. You have the Japanese Bike enthusiasts, The Italian Bike fans, then within those groups you have the ones who like the V-twins who sneer at the Four cylinder guys. And you have the weird guys who ride the three cylinder British Triumphs. Within the Jap Bike community you have the Kawazaki riders, the Suzuki Jockeys and those who like me, ride the best bikes in the world, Yamahas. And all of us get along like Rodney King gets along with the Police.

 

[MWC2]

No you haven't seen brutal until you start posting on a parenting forum. Those Mommies can be cut throat.