Digital Photography Tips

http://froknowsphoto.com/digital_photography_tips_bokah

When it comes to selecting a lens for a specific photo shoot there are so many factors that come into play. Do you want to shoot wide angle and have everything in sharp focus or do you want to shoot super tight and blow the background way out.

In the video below you see Greg demonstrating how by just changing the distance to the camera the background will totally change. The first section of the video is being shot with the Nikon D3s 70-200 2.8 VRI at 200mm. You can see that the background is blown out but you can still make out the shapes in the background. In the second part of the video Greg got closer to the lens and all that changed was the focus. Now you can see that being closer to the lens the background has been totally blown out and anything in the back is unrecognizable.

You don't always need to have the best glass or fastest F stop to blow out the background. If you get closer to your subject and have a deeper background you can still get a similar effect with a 5.6 lens. Sure it is harder to blow out shorter backgrounds but it is possible with just about any lens.

Now lets look at what happens when you use wide angle lenses vs telephoto. When you use a telephoto lens you are compressing anything in the image, when you use wide angle you are doing the opposite of compressing. For example when I shoot head shots I love using my Nikon 70-200 2.8 VRII because I can isolate my subject form the background. I zoom in as well as get closer to my subject which makes the compression even greater. If I were to use a Nikon 24-70 2.8 and try to get the same portrait at 24mm it would be pretty hard to replicate. The subject would look awkward and the background would probably be really sharp and distracting.

You may be wondering if it is possible to blow the background out even with wide angle lenses and the answer is yes. As you will see at the end of the video, if you get really close to your subject and your focus is much closer the background may still blow out.

Be sure to watch the full video as I go through actual sample images showing you how changing your focus and how close you are to your subject will change the amount you compress the background.


http://froknowsphoto.com/digital_photography_tips_bokah

Nikon, Canon,Raw,D3000,d3100,d7000,d3s,d3,d700,d60,d5000,d90,d70,5d,5dmk2,rebel,xt,xti,­t2i,t1i,550d,500d,50d,60d,7d,

Category:

Education

Tags:

• DSLR
• Digital
• Photography
• Nikon
• Canon
• D7000
• Tutorial
• Bokah
• photo
• depth of field

[deedf101]

Jared I have a Nikon D300s, and sometimes I take photo at not to high of a ISO like 400 and after I edit them with Capture NX2 I notice some noise. Any idea why this would happen at such a low ISO?

[JaredPolin]

@deedf101 if your exposures are way off and you bring it way back or way down that will cause some noise.

[choy33]

Are you using the Mac's webcam for the pip video? I think its changing white balance with your movement, i found it distracting. Just nitpicking, awesome vid btw.

[JaredPolin]

@choy33 yes i am. 

[x7Luke7x]

That picture at 4:15 was taken at Campbell's Field! :D

[bennyboytx]

"compressed" isn't the word i would use, but i know what you mean.

[buzza24]

great tutorial, really helped me to understand what settings affect the blur of the background.

[JJBfilm]

Cool videos J.P.... Thanks for the tips and sharing..

[gagsterde]

do you edit all your photos?

[veraso1]

You Know Photoooo!!! lol

Thank you again.... Watching and learning, a lot !

I haven't get My DSLR yet..... but can't stop learning from you Man...

Grasias!

[theoldyankee]

Can't thank you enough for this video! It's been like pulling teeth - trying to find a comprehensive description WITH *SEVERAL* PHOTOGRAPHIC EXAMPLES of the effect of focal length and aperture on DOF. (I'm going to your website to click on all of your ads right now.)

[ArmaEditor]

Creepy guy at :57

[movania89]

@JaredPolin Sorry but I didn't get your answer! Could u please explain me easily! Please.. Sometimes I experienced the same problem too!!

[pioglfr2]

@deedf101 Jared is right here - you shouldn't be seeing noise at ISO400.

[butangviber]

I have the same Maui Jim sunglasses. Love em....oh and great informational video.

[Eagle1337]

2:30 i still see Jared,

[thebeastmyster]

@JaredPolin What program do you use for screen and webcam capture? Is there a good windows equivalent out there?

[hifoo45]

@ClankyRochet personally I would say grain and noise are the same in definition. Grain was probably used more in the analog age with film, and now noise is referred as the same thing in the digital age.

[JaredPolin]

@ClankyRochet what do u mean?

[ClankyRochet]

Respond to this video...

[ClankyRochet]

@hifoo45 I am using Canon 7D. Is grain and noise are the same??

[JaredPolin]

@Sacharczuk21 im using a 27 inch screen .

[Sacharczuk21]

How is the camera and lens info in the top left so small on my computer its huge