Chingay 2002 - Part 3

[Simon]

[Simon]

[nutz]

How do you take pictures with the background blurred?

Do you have to go very near to the main focus subject?
What setting should i use for such shots?

[ckiang]

Quote: Originally posted by nutz How do you take pictures with the background blurred? Do you have to go very near to the main focus subject? What setting should i use for such shots?

Use an SLR and a wide aperture/long focal-length lens. Consumer digital cameras will never get the same effect.

Regards
CK

[nutz]

Quote: Originally posted by ckiang Use an SLR and a wide aperture/long focal-length lens. Consumer digital cameras will never get the same effect. Regards CK

Hi, i'm using a SLR digital.
But everytime i zoom in to my subject, my aperture goes up as follows, i just can't tune it down.
I can only keep it at 2.8 if i don't zoom at all. So should i go close to my subject without zooming in at all to get the effect?

[kelvinty]

Dear nutz,

You are extremely lucky to have a digital SLR! Now I'm not sure about the other models of Digital SLRs, but for Nikons, even for the CP5000, you should have an option called 'Fixed Aperture' or something like that.

This will tell your camera not to automatically change your aperture when you zoom in.

Alternatively, you can use Photoshop, mask the central subject and do a Gaussian Blur - to emulate the blurred background.

For technicality's sake - the blurred background is commonly known as shallow Depth-of-Field, or DoF. a great DoF (which most digicams have due to design) means that alot of things are sharp or clear, the focusing point being the sharpest. A shallow DoF means that the clearness or sharpness is 'shallow' - referring only to where you choose to focus on and everything else in front or behind the subject is substantially blurred.

Below are two comparison shots, one original, and the other using Gaussian blur to emulate a shallower DoF. It may look cheesy, but this was done in a matter of minutes, if you have the patience and practise, it could look like real DoF.

ORIGINAL PHOTO



DoF EMULATED WITH GAUSSIAN BLUR

[Simon]

Quote: Originally posted by nutz Hi, i'm using a SLR digital. But everytime i zoom in to my subject, my aperture goes up as follows, i just can't tune it down. I can only keep it at 2.8 if i don't zoom at all. So should i go close to my subject without zooming in at all to get the effect?

What's the model and make of the SLR Digital your're using?

By the look of it, you are using TV mode or P mode.

What Lens are your using? Tele, Wide or Prime ?

[nutz]

Quote: Originally posted by kelvinty Dear nutz, You are extremely lucky to have a digital SLR! Now I'm not sure about the other models of Digital SLRs, but for Nikons, even for the CP5000, you should have an option called 'Fixed Aperture' or something like that. This will tell your camera not to automatically change your aperture when you zoom in. Alternatively, you can use Photoshop, mask the central subject and do a Gaussian Blur - to emulate the blurred background. For technicality's sake - the blurred background is commonly known as shallow Depth-of-Field, or DoF. a great DoF (which most digicams have due to design) means that alot of things are sharp or clear, the focusing point being the sharpest. A shallow DoF means that the clearness or sharpness is 'shallow' - referring only to where you choose to focus on and everything else in front or behind the subject is substantially blurred. Below are two comparison shots, one original, and the other using Gaussian blur to emulate a shallower DoF. It may look cheesy, but this was done in a matter of minutes, if you have the patience and practise, it could look like real DoF. [/IMG]

Hi kelvin, i'm not really lucky as you put it.
What i own is an affordable set.
It's the HP C912.

From what i know, this Dig SLR has very limited function.
It doesn't seem to have the 'Fixed Aperture' which you mentioned.

Photoshop can do wonders, but i would like to learn to take original pics with that effect as well.

[nutz]

Quote: Originally posted by Simon What's the model and make of the SLR Digital your're using? By the look of it, you are using TV mode or P mode. What Lens are your using? Tele, Wide or Prime ?

LOL......wait wait Simon....
I do own a Digital SLR but i have to confess i am a total idiot about photography.
Laugh at me, i don't even know what kind of lens i own......hahahaaa

[kelvinty]

Dear nutz,

It's okay. However, if I'm not wrong the HPC912 is not an SLR, digital or otherwise. It's just a digital camera. In that case your options are limited and perhaps DoF is not very possible for your camera unless you take close ups.

You can e-mail me if you want a rundown on the concept of DoF, won't want to bore the pros here. ;P

Yours,
Kelvin

[ckiang]

Quote: Originally posted by kelvinty Dear nutz, It's okay. However, if I'm not wrong the HPC912 is not an SLR, digital or otherwise. It's just a digital camera. In that case your options are limited and perhaps DoF is not very possible for your camera unless you take close ups. You can e-mail me if you want a rundown on the concept of DoF, won't want to bore the pros here. ;P Yours, Kelvin

If memory does not fail me, that is a consumer digicam with SLR optics, non interchangeable lens. So, you can't get shallow depth of field as is possible with other digital SLRs with interchangeable lenses like the D1X, S1Pro, D30, 1D, etc.

Regards
CK

[nutz]

Quote: Originally posted by ckiang If memory does not fail me, that is a consumer digicam with SLR optics, non interchangeable lens. So, you can't get shallow depth of field as is possible with other digital SLRs with interchangeable lenses like the D1X, S1Pro, D30, 1D, etc. Regards CK

Guess so.......
Perhaps i'll play around with this before i get myself a more pro cam when i've reached a higher level of skills....

Thanx anyway.