Photo Tip Friday: Blurring the Background, Part 2

by Mary Denman   @MaryDenman

Two of my sons goofing off by Mary Denman Photography

Welcome back for Part 2 of Blurring the Background. 

Last week in Part 1, we went over how the distance between your subject and the background can make a difference in how blurred the backdrop is. I'll have a link for that at the end of this post. 

But today, I'm going to talk about how to use the zoom feature of your camera to blur the background. 

Let's get started. 

Photo Tip Friday: How to Blur the Foreground or Background for Greatest Effect

by Mary Denman

ISO 400, 44mm, f/2.8, 1/40

Welcome back! This week, I want to teach you a technique that I've really been working on recently. I want to share what I've learned. 

The big tip for this week is to learn how to blur the part of the picture that will provide the most interesting perspective for the photo. 

What does this mean or look like? Let's get started. 

These are all shots I took at a wedding. This is my youngest daughter. The candle caught my eye. I focused on her and let the candle be out of focus. 

Of course I had to try it both ways.