Novice photographers often think about how to blur the background in a photo or video. Of course, for this you can use the processing - today many smartphones programmatically blur the background in the pictures, and the photographer himself can do this by processing the photo on a computer or on the same smartphone. However, such “digital” blurring looks unnatural, spoils the quality of the image and adds artifacts. We will tell you how to get natural blur using the camera lens without resorting to Photoshop. A blurred background is not just a special effect or embellishment. This is an artistic device that came from painting to photography, video and film. Due to blurring the background, you can select the main object in the photo, make the photo more voluminous. System cameras, SLRs and mirrorless cameras are good because their lenses are interchangeable. We can be satisfied not only with the optics that comes with the camera, but also choose lenses with certain properties for our tasks. For example, there are lenses that greatly blur the background — we will talk about them below. And also for DSLRs and mirrorless mirrors with interchangeable optics - a large matrix. The presence of a large matrix, although it makes the camera more voluminous than the same smartphone, but it gives a lot of advantages. In addition to high quality images and better performance in low light, one of the consequences of using large matrices is the physical ability to blur the background. At the same time, aspiring photographers still often experience difficulties, wanting to get a beautifully blurred background. What to do? There should be a distance between the background and the subject. Any lens is designed in such a way that when focusing it is aimed at a certain distance. All objects located at this distance will be sharp. Therefore, if the background is almost at the same distance as your model, it will not blur under any circumstances. For example, if the model poses standing close to the wall, and you want to blur the background, ask her to take a couple of steps forward from the wall. Conversely, if you want to include both the subject and the background in sharpness, place them close to each other. Come closer! In fact, the blurry background is a consequence of the shallow depth of field. The smaller the depth of field, the more blurry everything that is not at the focus distance. The depth of field also depends on the shooting distance - the smaller the distance, the smaller the depth of field, the more blurred the background. That is why the background when shooting close-up is so eagerly blurred. So, if you want to blur the background, do not take too general plans, come closer to your model. Shoot with an open aperture. The third item affecting the depth of field is the aperture value . The stronger the aperture is open, the less (other things being equal) the depth of field and the more the background will be blurred. Yes to adjust the aperture yourself, you will have to learn how to shoot in A or M modes . It will be difficult at first, but believe me, it's worth it! Use a large focal length. Depth of field also depends on the focal length of the lens. Speaking simply (though not quite correctly) - from the zoom. Shoot at the maximum zoom of your lens - so the background will blur more. Do not confuse the concept of shooting distance (focus distance) with the focal length. Focal length - a property of the lens that characterizes its viewing angle; it is indicated on the body of any lens, on a special scale. When zooming, we change the focal length of the lens. It's simple: more focal length - less viewing angle, the lens brings closer. Conversely, the shorter the focal length of the lens, the wider the viewing angle. Use a suitable lens.All three of the methods described above do not require any additional investments, just the ability to use the equipment that we have. These tips are true for any photo equipment. However, we can “run into” the limitations of our own equipment. So, entry-level cameras, as a rule, are equipped with lenses with a focal length of 18–55 mm (for example, Nikon AF-P DX 18-55mm f / 3.5-5.6G VR NIKKOR). These are versatile, inexpensive, and beginner-friendly lenses. But, frankly, blurring the background is not their thing. Yes, we can set them to the maximum zoom (focal length 55mm), but this is not so much, and, together with the low aperture (about it below), the capabilities of such lenses in blurring the background are limited. But we remember that having a system camera, you can always choose a lens that is more suitable for our purposes. Which lens blurs the background better? Two characteristics are important here - the focal length and aperture. But first things first. For working with a shallow depth of field and a blurry background, telephoto lenses are better suited, which are able to bring the image closer in the frame. Photographers often call such lenses telephoto lenses, or lenses operating in the tele-range of focal lengths. And if they have a high aperture, then this, consider, is already a specialized tool, sharpened for shooting with a blurred background. However, a high aperture here is optional: any telephoto lens, even with a low aperture, can decently blur the background.
