Hi there!

Today I will write a brief post on how to achieve a nice soft background.

Tip # 1

DSLR:

Use a wide aperture!  The lower your f-stop number, the wider your aperture.

NOTE : Be careful & be aware that the wider the aperture you use, the shallower your focal plane will be.  Meaning other objects will may be soft as well.  See the first image above.  I focused on the green leaf in the foreground.  Parts of the flower & even the vase are soft.

Point & Shoot :

Put your camera setting on portrait.  Most times this is designated by a face icon on the settings dial.

(If you want MORE of your background in focus, put it on the landscape mountain icon on the dial!)

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Tip #2

Get close to your subject!  The closer you are, the more ‘out of focus’ your background will be.

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Tip #3

Place your subject as far away from the background as possible.  The more distance, the softer the background will be.

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Hope this helps!  I am could go on and on about aperture, but trying to keep this short & sweet & to the point!

Please feel free to leave feedback & any questions you may have in the comment section.

I am also accepting suggestions for next week’s tip!  Leave a comment…

Thanks!

~Kathy