Tip 21 - Blur The Foreground
Most of you have probably seen those portraits with a blurry background. The background blur often creates a dreamy feel, and more importantly, a clean photo that the viewers have no choice but to focus their attention on the subject.
Family travel, Galapagos, Ecuador
However, I’m talking about blurring your foreground today. Your camera is very close to something between you and your subject so that the foreground is blurry. There are 3 (or more) good reasons for this exercise:
👉We all know that a photo is a 2D art. Adding this extra blurry foreground visually expands the depth of your photo and creates a 3D feel (both images above)
👉You can’t avoid the foreground sometimes, eg. in a restaurant or small space, but can use a foreground to add a pop of color or natural frame to your subject, so you turn the disadvantage to your advantage (image above and below)
👉You want to include the foreground as part of the story telling, rather than only photographing the subject (image below)
Family travel, Mendoza, Argentina
In terms of camera settings, you want to use the smallest f-stop value (largest aperture), and find a foreground between your camera and your subject. Notice the wider angle your lens is, the closer you need to put your camera in front of the foreground in order to achieve the blur effect.
All of my above images are taken with the same camera - Sony A7iii, and the same prime lens at 55mm and f1.8.
Go back to Composition Tips Chapter
