How to blur foreground?

[ntheni]

Hi all, super newbie here. Jus got my Canon 1100D a week ago, so would like to learn how to set/take effect with focus on the background and blur on the foreground.

Trying to start learning photography so hope this is not a stupid question that i shouldn't ask.

Thanks

 

[billheng]

Well I've got two suggestion.

1: open your aperture to it's widest. Meaning smaller F number
2: let the distance between ur subject and thr background be far.

Cheers. All the best with ur slr=)

 

[luckyorange]

erm.. just set your focus point at the foreground and aperture set to widest (small F). if im not wrong. or you can use the search engine to look for answer -)

 

[lcheowl]

Hi all, super newbie here. Jus got my Canon 1100D a week ago, so would like to learn how to set/take effect with focus on the background and blur on the foreground.

Trying to start learning photography so hope this is not a stupid question that i shouldn't ask.

Thanks

you have a f1.8 prime lens?

if not, you need to calculate the DOF and make sure that the foreground object are outside the DOF.

 

[kriegsketten]

I would assume you are using kit lens. Try this, focus on something really close to you, make sure its background is really far back, as far as possible. If you can't see much blur, find a background even further than earlier until you see significant blur. Google "bokeh".

Focus on your window frame / grill, for example, with the environment outside really far away.

 

[rhino123]

Or... try to manual focus on your lens, forget about auto focus.

Like what other say, set your aperture to the widest or wider, then focus on your subject using manual focus. You will see the rest of the picture blurring.

 

[shierwin]

Hi all, super newbie here. Jus got my Canon 1100D a week ago, so would like to learn how to set/take effect with focus on the background and blur on the foreground.

Trying to start learning photography so hope this is not a stupid question that i shouldn't ask.

Thanks

I think TS wants a blur foreground with the background in focus; Not the other way round.

 

[rhino123]

yeah. Doesn't matter, just set your focus point to 1 focus point, depending on his/her composition (normally I set mine to the center focus point), and turn my lens to manual. Then half press the shutter release and at the same time tune my lens till the focus is achieved. When your aperture is wide enough, less area will be in focus so will blur out... so foreground can be blur will single object or objects from the background will be in focus, all depend on the aperture of your lens.

notice the greenish thing infront of the tiger? That is the blurred effect of the leave in the foreground (nearest to my camera).

 

[kriegsketten]

I think TS wants a blur foreground with the background in focus; Not the other way round.

Ah thousand apologies... This effect much easier to achieve... just focus on the background then place your hand to cover up a bit of the lens front... :bsmilie:

 

[daredevil123]

Hi all, super newbie here. Jus got my Canon 1100D a week ago, so would like to learn how to set/take effect with focus on the background and blur on the foreground.

Trying to start learning photography so hope this is not a stupid question that i shouldn't ask.

Thanks

You blur the foreground the same way you blur the background.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

use Online DOF Calculator, or similar smartphone app, and compose such that foreground is nearer than the 'near limit' to ensure it is out of focus.

 

[FuraCelest]

use Online DOF Calculator, or similar smartphone app, and compose such that foreground is nearer than the 'near limit' to ensure it is out of focus.

Oh? Need to calculate eh? I got the same result by focusing on the farthest subject and the front of me is blur.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

Oh? Need to calculate eh? I got the same result by focusing on the farthest subject and the front of me is blur.

no la... the DOF calculator gives a definite value, so you can predict which areas will be OOF.
CAn always revert to trial and error if time is sufficient

 

[FuraCelest]

no la... the DOF calculator gives a definite value, so you can predict which areas will be OOF.
CAn always revert to trial and error if time is sufficient

Ohhh ok. Didnt know it can be this technical lol.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

Ohhh ok. Didnt know it can be this technical lol.

hahahaha it is as technical as you intend it to be.

 

[kriegsketten]

No need to be too technical, a "good-enough" rough idea is prolly suffice. If too technical... Sun already set, insects done with their porn, birds flew away, kite kept and flyer gone home, airplane flew past long ago, xmms yawning (no more sparkle in their eyes), go F1 you can only smell rubber, etc, etc... :bsmilie:

 

[FuraCelest]

hahahaha it is as technical as you intend it to be.

True true. Very true.

No need to be too technical, a "good-enough" rough idea is prolly suffice. If too technical... Sun already set, insects done with their porn, birds flew away, kite kept and flyer gone home, airplane flew past long ago, xmms yawning (no more sparkle in their eyes), go F1 you can only smell rubber, etc, etc... :bsmilie:

Hahaha!!! Like.... Say whaat??

 

[bayusuputra]

yeah. Doesn't matter, just set your focus point to 1 focus point, depending on his/her composition (normally I set mine to the center focus point), and turn my lens to manual. Then half press the shutter release and at the same time tune my lens till the focus is achieved. When your aperture is wide enough, less area will be in focus so will blur out... so foreground can be blur will single object or objects from the background will be in focus, all depend on the aperture of your lens.

notice the greenish thing infront of the tiger? That is the blurred effect of the leave in the foreground (nearest to my camera).

hhmm, i don't think it all depends on the aperture alone.. distance between subject and camera as well as subject and background matters as well, not mentioning the distance where you put your focus on.. it's not that simple..

if you use f/0.95 noctilux and the subject is 30m away, the background will not look so bokehlicious, but the foreground will..
if the subject is 1m away only, then the background at infinity will be blurred..

so if TS wants the foreground to be blurred, put the subject somewhere quite far, don't put near/at lowest focusing distance.. put the foreground (props or whatever) nearer to the camera, set aperture the widest..

we need to experiment with the distance and aperture value to get the desired effect.. just play around, no harm, digital is free.. don't like, can erase.. the only problem is the ever increasing shutter count.. (wah, OT already)

also remember, depth of field increases as subject distance increases for one particular aperture value..

 

[ntheni]

Ok thanks everyone!!! I got the idea now.

 

[lcheowl]

Ohhh ok. Didnt know it can be this technical lol.

if you want to skip the technical section, you can get a 50f1.8 to play with.

This lens is one of the cheapest (at $12x) and one of the sharper too, without doing any calculation, it will help to u blur the foreground and background due to the shallow DOF.