I swear I cant get this :(

[funkychunkymonkey]

I tried to make the flower my subject and blur my backround, I musta missed something cause my subject is blured.

 

[disneyboy2003]

I tried to make the flower my subject and blur my backround, I musta missed something cause my subject is blured.

A few things I noticed from your EXIF data.

First, looks like you're using the Sony DT 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 lens and your focal length for these photos is 24mm. As I mentioned in one of your previous threads, the minimum focusing distance for this lens is 0.25 meters = 10 inches. Are you at least 10 inches from the flower? That's the first thing I'd check.

Second, the EXIF data says that you're using manual focus. Is that right? Is autofocus available for your camera & lens? Autofocus, in general, is pretty accurate. There are very very few situations when I'd use manual focus (ex. macro photography, extremely low-light (almost dark) photography, etc).

Anyway, try stepping back a bit (more than 10 inches from your subject), zoom in on your subject, and use autofocus. Those would be my suggestions. See if that helps.

 

[Evad]

I think you did a great job on capturing Brian!!





Sorry I couldn't help myself....

 

[mom2rtk]

It sounds and looks like you were probably too close to focus on the flower.

Another thing that might help too would be to make sure your camera is using the right focus spot for what you want. Do you know how to manually select which focus point it will use?

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

I tried again and with being further away I can get the rose to come out crisp but cant get the backround to blur

 

[disneyboy2003]

I tried again and with being further away I can get the rose to come out crisp but cant get the backround to blur

I'm glad to hear that the rose finally came out sharp.

Background blur (known as "bokeh") depends on the aperture you're using for your photo. The larger the aperture (the smaller the f-number), the blurrier the background.

Conversely, the smaller the aperture (the larger the f-number), the sharper the background.

Do you know what aperture your photo was taken at? It's also a little tricky for you, since your lens is a variable aperture lens. In other words, the maximum aperture of your lens will change from f/3.5 to f/5.6 as you zoom from 18mm to 55mm on your lens.

If you zoomed in on your photo, your aperture was probably f/5.6, which doesn't quite make for a blurry background.

Portrait photographers, who typically excel in getting blurry backgrounds, tend to use lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/2.8 or larger (f-number of 2.8 or smaller). If you can get your hands on a prime lens (ie. a fixed focal length lens) with an aperture of f/1.4 or f/1.2, you'll really appreciate how "creamy" the bokeh is.

Mmmm...cream.

 

[Evad]

I tried again and with being further away I can get the rose to come out crisp but cant get the backround to blur

Make sure you are using the lowest f/stop your lens has. This is where an f/1.8 lens comes in handy.

 

[photo_chick]

And aperture is only one thing that affects depth of field. While it makes the biggest difference, focal length and distance to subject are also factors.

Open the aperture all the way, make the lens as wide as possible and put the flower at you minimum focusing distance for that lens. That will get you the shallowest depth of field possible for that lens.

 

[Chikabowa]

Something others haven't mentioned...
You are on the right track in terms of creating bokeh. I can tell by the foreground flower that if you can get that flower into focus, you are going to have the best bokeh that particular lens could give you.

But what I haven't seen mentioned is your focal point. Are you choosing your focal point? Or are you letting the camera choose that focal point for you? Doing your own manual selection of the focal point will give you much crisper results and you will know exactly where your focus is falling in the shot.

 

[Chikabowa]

Oh and another hint...
Stepping BACK from your subject then zooming in will help with bokeh as well. For example... I wanted the best bokeh possible for this little weed. So I stepped back, opened up to a full f2.8, selected my focus point to hit RIGHT DEAD ON that flower, and then shot away. The longer your focal length, the creamier the bokeh and the more compression you get in your shot.

ISO 200, f2.8, 1/3200, 200mm Focal Length

Same settings, only 180mm focal length

Just keep plugging away! Seriously, it takes about 40 trash experiment pictures to get that outstanding 1 and then you have your Ah-Ha! moment!!

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

I will have to try again tommrow. I had AH HA moment tonnight taking manual photos of the sunset!

 

[zackiedawg]

And that was going to be my point - if having any issues with autofocus not being able to get the flower in focus, or any subject such as when the light is too low, or the subject maybe too small, etc...would be to simply switch to manual focus and do it yourself! It's really not all that hard - switch to manual via the switch on the bottom left side of the lens mount, then turn the focus ring on the lens until things are looking crisp and in focus where you want it. As the others mentioned, more distance from the flower (and more distance from flower to background, more zoom to get closer to the flower, and bigger aperture (smaller F number) all will help blur the background.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

Ive been playing with manual all this time.

 

[GrillMouster]

To get the background blurry you'll want shallow depth of field. You can get shallow depth of field by 1) using a large aperture (small f-number), and 2) getting closer to your subject (but not closer than the minimum focus distance). You'll also want to increase the distance between the subject and all of the background, so the background is further out of the area that it's in focus.

Because you have a variable-aperture lens, you'll have the largest aperture (smallest f-number) at the widest focal length, which means you'll need to get closer to flower to fill the frame with it. As someone mentioned, stepping further back will increase compression, which can help reduce distractions in the frame, depending on what's in the background. However, stepping back also increases the depth of field, meaning how much of the scene in front and in back of the focal point is in reasonable focus. The closer you are to the scene the shallower your depth of field will be. Of course, you don't want to be closer than your lens's minimum focusing distance.

Something else you'll want to do is simplify (clear the clutter) of the background scene. Something like a sheet or shower curtain (black or whatever color you prefer) behind the flower would work well.

In low light if you can't get the autofocus to work, then you can use manual focus. You also might want to steady the camera using a tripod or something steady to brace it or yourself. A light on the flower; even if it's just a flashlight can be nice. Maybe you can get someone to aim the flashlight for you (try back-lighting the flower) from the side. If you backlight, just make sure to shield any light from entering the lens of you'll get flare and reduced contrast.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

I was just messing around last time which explains the cluttered the backround. tonnight I should have time for round 2.

 

[GrillMouster]

By the way, when I mentioned the cluttered background I really wasn't trying to say that your house is a mess, LOL. I'm not one to talk -- I have a toddler.

I just wanted to emphasize that what we perceive and what the camera sees can be two entirely different things, especially when it comes to interior spaces. I've heard from photographers for Architectural Digest and Better Homes & Gardens who say that in all of their years, no matter how gorgeous and immaculate an interior space is that they're assigned to photograph, they always, always, ALWAYS have to simplify it even more for the purposes of photography. They laugh at the fact that people (some famous) go crazy cleaning and decorated their spaces for the magazine, and it's all for naught. The photographers wind up moving and removing about 95% of the stuff in the space. Picture frames, flowers, and all sorts of little decorative touches that look great in-person can cause a cluttered composition in a photograph.

This is where using a long focal length to isolate a subject and compress perspective can be useful. So, rather than the background consisting of the tv, shelf, chair, wall art, carpet, etc., it's kinda like you blow up just a small patch of the background (like a clean wall or just the dark TV screen) so it fills more/most of the background. This simplifies the image and helps isolate the subject in the foreground.

 

[mom2rtk]

Hey, I've decided one of the unsung values of a nice bokeh with a wide aperture lens is the way it blurs all the background clutter in my house!

Funny, but you don't see that mentioned in the camera books.....

 

[GrillMouster]

Maybe we can sell wide aperture eyeglasses. I can envision the commercial: "Why bother cleaning up your house? Just make the clutter disappear with "bokeh"!"

I think we've got a winner here.

 

[mom2rtk]

Maybe we can sell wide aperture eyeglasses. I can envision the commercial: "Why bother cleaning up your house? Just make the clutter disappear with "bokeh"!"

I think we've got a winner here.

I must say... I DO like your thinking!!

 

[photo_chick]

Hey, I've decided one of the unsung values of a nice bokeh with a wide aperture lens is the way it blurs all the background clutter in my house!

Funny, but you don't see that mentioned in the camera books.....

And to think all this time I've just been photoshopping it out! LOL