How to Use Aperture to Blur Background
In this video we will be learning how to use Aperture to blur the background in a DSLR or a Mirrorless camera.
We will be seeing this by first understanding how aperture exactly works and what it does in a camera.
Then we’ll be learning things practically by doing a live exercise, where we will be using aperture to blur the background while keeping our subject in focus.
Here is the video:
This video is from our Basics of Photography course, which has 15 videos and 2.5 hours of content, which teach you how to use your camera’s manual mode. You can access the full course by using the link below:
Video Summary
This video from Creative Pad Media explores the concept of Aperture and how it is used to create a professional-looking blurred background, often referred to as “bokeh.”
Understanding Aperture
- The Mechanism: Aperture is a hole inside the camera lens that you can open or close to control the amount of light and the focus area [01:37].
- The Inverse Relationship: Aperture is measured in f-stop numbers. A smaller f-stop number (e.g., f/1.8) means a wider opening, while a larger number (e.g., f/22) means a smaller opening [03:13].
Depth of Field (DOF)
- Definition: This is the area of the image that remains in sharp focus [09:40].
- Shallow Depth of Field: Using a small f-stop number (wide aperture) creates a small area of focus, which blurs the background and isolates the subject [09:55].
- Deep Depth of Field: Using a large f-stop number (small aperture) ensures everything from the foreground to the background remains sharp, which is ideal for landscapes [10:35].
Lens Types and Their Impact
- Kit Lenses: Usually have a limited minimum aperture (often f/3.5 to f/5.6), which provides a moderate background blur [14:04].
- Prime Lenses: These lenses have a fixed focal length (no zoom) but allow for very wide apertures like f/1.8, creating a “butter smooth” blurred background [16:34].
- Premium Zoom Lenses: High-end lenses (like a 70-200mm f/2.8) offer the flexibility of zooming while maintaining a wide aperture, though they are significantly more expensive [21:28].
