People typically love images with the “Bokeh” effect. That’s when the backgroud of an image is blurred. It’s created through understanding depth of field (DOF).

Controlling depth of field (DOF) is typically the key difference between professional images vs. amateur images. DOF is controlled by thinking through the results that you want to achieve vs. letting the camera think for you. Get your camera off the “P” mode and learn more about depth of field. 

Shallow depth of field (DOF) is often controlled by the lens aperture setting to a lower number (f/2.8) setting causing the background to be more blurred (out of focus) thus causing the in focused subject to pop out more and a higher number (f/22) setting causing the background to be more in focus. The reason that I said “often controlled” is because f/stop alone is not the only factor. There are other variables to how shallow the DOF becomes.

Depth of field is also changed by the focal length along with distance between the subject and camera and the subject and background. For example, standing 20 feet from the subject with a 50mm f/1.4 lens set to f/2.8 will have a far different look than being 20 feet from the subject with a 70-200mm Zoom set at the 200mm focal length and f/2.8. To really get a feel for DOF, you should shoot WIDE OPEN with different lenses.

Wide open refers to the maximum opening on your lens: f/1.8, 2.8, 3.5 and 4.0 are some fairly common lens openings depending on whether the lens is a consumer lens, prime lens or zoom lens. But as a general rule, these numbers are somewhat typical. There are f/1.2 and f/1.4 prime lenses and there are f/5.6 lenses. The key is to see what happens with your lens wide open.

In addition, try testing the distance from the camera to the subject and the subject to the background. You should try multiple variations of this scenario. Here are just a few to consider:

1) 5 feet from camera to subject with subject being 5 feet from the background.

2) The same setup as above but move the subject 10 feet from the background. Then, try having the camera and the subject being 10 feet from each other with the background being 5 feet away. Just keep mixing it up and taking notes.

3) Now try the same thing above with a different lens. If you only own one lens, then get very familiar with how that lens works with your DOF. A kit lens at 18mm vs. 55mm will make a difference based on the varying f/stop of the lens at wide open and 1 and 2 above. Testing is key, but depth of field is something that you’ll want to master to give your images a different look.

f/2.8 with a 70-200mm Lens – The focal point was text on the coffee cup. The look is referred to as “Bokeh.” That’s Japanese for BLUR.

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In its simplest form, aperture is simply the lens opening. In the graph above, if you were shooting with an f/2.8 lens, that might be the widest opening for the lens which provides a more shallow depth of field. That simply means that the area behind your subject or even certain areas of your subject is more out of focus with a wide lens opening vs. f/16 (shown above) which would provide a background that is more in focus.

Shallow Depth of Field with f/2.8 lens set to f/5.6

An Easy Way To Understand Aperture

An even easier way to explain this is by showing an example of an image. The image on the right was shot with an f/2.8 lens which is the widest opening on the lens used. I set it at f/5.6 which is known in technical terms as stopping the lens down. Each setting change from the graph above starting with f/2.8 is considered 1 stop. So f.4.0 is one position or stop from f/2.8, f/5.6 is two positions or stops, f/8 is 3 positions or stops, f/11 is 4 positions or stops and so on. It’s important to know this because these settings control the focus of the background behind the subject or even parts of your subject when using a really shallow depth of field. The image to the right would not be the same if the background was completely in focus.

The lower the number based on your maximum lens opening the more shallow depth of field and the higher the number the sharper the depth of field. You don’t always want shallow depth of field. An example of stopping the lens all the way down or in other words setting the lens to f/16, f/22 or even f/32 (in cases that the lens goes to f/32) would be when you absolutely need everything in focus from front to back like on a large group shot that is 15 rows deep of 200 people.

Take Control of Your Aperture

Aperture is one of the single most important elements in photography. By understanding it thoroughly, your photography will get better. There are two key ways to understand aperture better: 1) Read about it, watch videos, ask other photographers, never stop learning and 2) Testing, testing, testing: Know your camera and settings, especially f/stop or aperture like you’ve never known before. It’s truly one of the easiest ways to become a better photographer. Understanding light, controlled by aperture, is another key way to improve your photography. Light is another area to dive into as you continue learning about photography.

Choosing A Lens Based On Aperture

Most kit lenses that come with consumer cameras have a range of something like f/3.5-5.6 or f/4-5.6 and are not really what is considered a fast lens ( f/2.8 or lower typically). Kit lenses not only limit you with the starting f/stop but by a varying f/stop that changes at different focal points and the quality of the glass. You can see one of my previous posts on prime lenses which will help and another post on The Glass (lens) that should also help. That way, I don’t have to repeat it all here.

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In the post Karl shows examples of Hard Light, Soft Light, Transmitted Light and Reflected Light.  He provides text to go along with his examples to help the reader better understand what he is showing examples of.  Karl closes the post with his “6 Top Tips For Working With The Best Light.”

To become a better photographer, understanding and using light properly is a key part of that journey.  It has been my greatest personal challenge with photography.  As a professional, I still continue to study and experiment with light.

I have included a video below that is embedded in the post.  You can find Karl’s full post by visiting Photography Lighting – The Basics.  To learn more about Karl Taylor and his photography courses, please be sure to visit Karl Taylor Photography Masterclass.  FYI, I am not an affiliate of his products and don’t even know if that’s an option.  I simply love his work.

The post To Become A Better Photographer – You Need To Understand Light: Check Out – Karl Taylor: Photography Lighting – The Basics first appeared on .