Comments on: Don’t Have a Fast Lens? Here’s How to Capture Beautiful Background Blur

By: Neville Harlick

Neville Harlick — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 07:02:28 +0000

If you have taken your shot and gone home, then you decide you should have had more background blur, all is not lost. Just open "Lens Blur" in recent editions of Lightroom and voila!

By: Alice

Alice — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 16:44:54 +0000

My teenage self wishes this blog would have been around way back then. All I had was a nifty 50 and a zoom that was noooot fast. Would have been nice to realize I could still achieve background blue with that lens then. -Alice of www.yourcinematiclife.com

By: ni

ni — Wed, 24 May 2023 07:34:57 +0000

You saved my wallet. Thanks little Timmy Kratchet.
Nick

By: Dave Rhuberg

Dave Rhuberg — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 16:53:56 +0000

In reply to David Gee.

Closer to subject= unflattering subject+OOF background
Further from subject/longer FL=flattering subject+OOF background
If you’re getting close for portraits, your whole idea is off
What pro would do that? Who would say that looks better? Someone who is taking big nose selfies?

By: David Gee

David Gee — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 13:28:46 +0000

In reply to Dave Rhuberg. Sorry Dave. John’s article is spot on technically and artistically. Just leave it alone.

By: Dave Rhuberg

Dave Rhuberg — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 08:40:51 +0000

In reply to John McIntire. Don't you think the model is less accurately portrayed in "Putting into practice"? As you get closer your make your model look more bulbous, more prognathous? You do them a disservice.

By: John McIntire

John McIntire — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 00:01:46 +0000

In reply to Dave Rhuberg.

Well, the point was to demonstrate how depth of field can be manipulated with a single lens at a fixed aperture. So, no, I don’t think that I missed the point.

As far as if I would get closer to the subject. Yes. All the time. Unless we’re talking about environmental portraits, I’d almost never get further away, but that’s more personal tastes and preferences and I certainly wouldn’t try to hold my tastes over someone else’s. Especially not through derisive language that relies on implying that their work is lesser because their preferences don’t align with mine.

By: Dave Rhuberg

Dave Rhuberg — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 11:39:44 +0000

I think you missed the point? If you were taking a portrait, would you get closer (emphasizing the nose and chin) to blur the background? No, you would use a longer focal length, get further away and still blur the background better while the proportions of the subject are more flattering. Your examples are possible, but less effective and harder to make look good. Easier to make look bad, like a selfie, vs a PORTRAIT.