Whether you’re taking a photo or recording a vlog, a blurred background is an easy way to ensure your viewers’ eyes go to the right place.
Blurred backgrounds are often referred to as bokeh and can look particularly good at night, diffusing lights to create a soft, colourful background.
While some cameras include a dedicated bokeh button, others don’t meaning you’ll need to blur your background the old-fashioned way. This involves widening the aperture by decreasing the f-stop number.
It’s important to note that some lenses will support wider apertures than others, meaning the amount of blur you can get will depend on the make and model of your lens.
Keep reading to learn how to take a photo with a blurred background on a camera.
What you’ll need
- A camera
- A lens with an aperture low enough to reach your desired blur
The Short Version
- Increase the aperture by lowering the f-stop number
- Point the camera at your subject
- Adjust the focus
- Press the shutter release button
How to take a photo with a blurred background on a camera
Step
1Increase the aperture on your camera
This is controlled by the f-stop and how you adjust it will depend on your camera make and model. The lower the f-stop number, the wider the aperture and the more blurred your background will be.
Make sure to adjust the shutter speed and ISO as well to keep the exposure level, or use the aperture priority mode to tell the camera to do this automatically.Step
2Point the camera at your subject
You can use a tripod or hold the camera in your hands.
Step
3Adjust the focus
Make sure your subject is in focus and the background diffused. You can do this manually or using autofocus.
Step
4Press the shutter release button
This will take the picture. Check your image – you can adjust the aperture and take the photo again if you want more or less blur.
Troubleshooting
It depends on your camera. Check the manual for your model or take a look through the settings to learn how to access the aperture settings.
Some cameras do include a dedicated bokeh switch. Sony’s vlogging cameras are a good example of this with their Background Defocus feature, making it easy to take the background in and out of focus with the push of a button.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
