15
votes
Accepted
Is this "tack sharp with blurred background" look done with Photoshop?
No photoshop necessary for that background. That's simply what happens when shooting a telephoto lens, f/2.8 or larger, and having the subject closer to the camera and much further from the background....
- 20.5k
15
votes
Accepted
How to do smoky bokeh
The non uniformity of the bokeh leads me to believe that the background has been Photoshopped. Exactly how it was done is anyone's guess - but the sharp lines through the bokeh may indicate a liquify ...
- 20.5k
11
votes
Accepted
Maximizing bokeh in the foreground?
From the other question:
Here's the list of things that influence depth of field the most (in
this particular order):
Subject distance, the closer the subject is, the shallower the DOF
(think of ...
- 549
11
votes
Accepted
What can cause double-vision effect in slightly out of focus areas?
A cheap filter (uncoated or poor coatings) can reflect some of the light which is always reflected off of the front element surfaces.
The primary reflection (blue in the drawing) will be stronger than ...
- 19.4k
10
votes
Besides mirror lenses, what can cause ring-shaped bokeh?
The doughnut bokeh of catadioptric ("mirror") lenses is not caused by the rear mirror or long focal length, but by the obstruction (front mirror actually) on the front element.
You can achieve it ...
- 5,988
10
votes
What is the bokeh difference between 1/2.3" f/0.95 cell phone and 1" f/1.8 compact camera?
You appear to be seeking to maximize the amount of background blur. Factors that increase background blur are:
Distance to subject (closer)
Distance to background (farther)
Focal length (longer)
...
- 27.1k
9
votes
Accepted
Scratchy bokeh - do I have a problem with my lens?
In trying to take a suitable image to use as a full example, I removed the UV filter I have on the end to act as protector - problem apparently solved.
Lesson learnt: cheap glass is cheap for a ...
- 311
9
votes
Accepted
Besides mirror lenses, what can cause ring-shaped bokeh?
This bokeh effect is known as (soap) bubble bokeh. Along with a "glowing" look, this type of bokeh is seen in lenses that have over-corrected spherical aberration. It is associated with Cooke Triplet ...
- 27.1k
8
votes
Why does electronic first curtain shutter affect rendering of blurred backgrounds?
The reason for the phenomenon is that at wide apertures in good light necessitating a fast shutter speed, most of the exposure is coming from a very narrow traveling slit between the first and second ...
- 6,855
7
votes
Why do out of focus elements in a photograph increase in apparent brightness?
I assume you mean the "bokeh balls" phenomenon, where out-of-focus highlights become large, bright circles:
The answer to this is simple: the non-bright areas are also diffused into large circles, ...
- 144k
7
votes
How can I take pictures with extreme bokeh with an in-focus subject nearby?
For the first photo example: Longer focal length and/or wider aperture are needed. 50mm and f/2.8, especially if used on an APS-C camera, won't give that kind of bokeh that close to the focus distance....
- 176k
7
votes
What is the cause of inclusions in my bokeh?
Probably the dots are dried water specs.
Definitely the unsightly rings are from the glass polishing process.
Zeiss Batis 2.8/135
See this Imaging-Resource article: "The end of onion-ring bokeh? ...
- 1,823
7
votes
In photo taken with a prime lens, what is the cause of the "zoomed" bokeh appearance?
This is just an educated guess that I've never tested or seen specifically tested with lenses that have been highly corrected for field curvature and astigmatism, which are intimately related.
Most ...
- 176k
7
votes
What affects DOF more...distance to subject or focal length?
Here is the standard Depth of Field formula for reference:
DOF = 2 u2 N C / f2
N = aperture F-number
C = circle of confusion
u = distance to subject
f = focal length
When aperture and subject size ...
- 27.1k
7
votes
Accepted
This photo has light dot bokeh in front of the subject, seemingly coming from the sun. How was this done, or how can the effect be achieved?
A bit of black-belt Google-fu & Google Translate found the definitive answer, from the photographer themself.
It's an in-camera double exposure (proving my original theory wrong;)
It was so ...
- 23.4k
6
votes
Will 50mm f1.4 and 85mm f1.8 lenses produce the same bokeh, given the same framing?
if i go with Sigma 50mm F1.4 art and use it at F1.4 and shoot the subject from lesser distance than 85mm f1.8 (keeping the same field of view and frame) does 50mm f1.4 will produce the same or more ...
- 176k
6
votes
Accepted
What causes this 'bokeh crop' effect?
It's often called "cat's eye" bokeh. Most often it is seen in fairly wide angle lenses with very wide apertures.
"Cat's eye" bokeh is the result of using a very wide aperture lens where the entire ...
- 176k
6
votes
How to prevent "cats eye" bokeh?
Use a lens with a narrow enough field of view that the entire entrance pupil is visible when viewing the front of the lens from the anywhere within the field of view captured by the camera. Lenses ...
- 176k
6
votes
How do I obtain sharp images on full body portraits?
If you want more depth of field in your subject, stand further away, &/or close the aperture.
The added distance will mean the 'percentage' of distances from front to back of your subject will be ...
- 23.4k
6
votes
Does it make sense to buy a Sigma Art f1.4 for a crop sensor body?
However, if I understand correctly the aperture need to be multiplied as well, which results in an f2.1 and means I am losing at least an f-stop.
In short: No.
If you use a FF-lens with an APS-C ...
- 292
6
votes
Prime lens is over-exposed fully open, when in full daylight
If you're already at your maximum shutter speed, and your lowest ISO, and you don't want to reduce your aperture, then you might try adding an ND filter. Or wait for (or create) lower-light conditions....
- 5,158
5
votes
Does it make sense to buy a Sigma Art f1.4 for a crop sensor body?
You will never lose any transmission stops (low light ability) using a smaller sensor, unless something behind the camera mount severely constrains what reaches the sensor (unlikely with general ...
- 7,252
4
votes
Accepted
Do apodization screw-on filters or alternatives exist?
Going into my favorite resource again, Smith, Modern Optical Engineering, we find
Apodization is the use of a variable transmission filter or coating at
the aperture to modify the diffraction ...
- 1,887
4
votes
How can I maximize the "blurry background, sharp subject" (bokeh) effect?
Depth of Field (DOF), background blur, and bokeh are related, but different concepts. There is also subject-background isolation/separation.
Depth of field is based on focal length, aperture, ...
- 27.1k
4
votes
Accepted
How do I set hyperfocal distance meter on a Pentax 50mm lens, if I want bokeh?
The hyperfocal method is a way of insuring that everything in the background appears to be in focus in the final image as it is displayed. If you want your photo to demonstrate background bokeh then ...
- 176k
4
votes
How can I take pictures with extreme bokeh with an in-focus subject nearby?
Short answer : No.
To understand you need to realize that normally everything in a plane parallel to the film plane will is what is in focus. You choose the distance that focus plane is at when you (...
- 6,404
4
votes
Accepted
How to maximize the blurred background look with a distant subject (for example, 10m away)?
Gear Selection
What lens to use depends on what effect you want to achieve and how much post-processing you intend to do. The 18-55mm/F3.5-5.6 kit lens is a good general-purpose lens. It is fully ...
- 27.1k
4
votes
Accepted
Does amount of background blur change with focal length given equal framing?
The formulas don't account for factors that cause real lenses to deviate from the ideal. Formulas are from Wikipedia.
Depth of Field – DOF stays the same because distance to subject (u) is in the ...
- 27.1k
4
votes
Help me find a lens with peculiar bokeh
In order to suggest lenses, we first have to identify what types of bokeh you are interested in, and which lenses exhibit those types of bokeh.
"Soap Bubble" bokeh
The first image is a very ...
- 33.3k
4
votes
What can cause double-vision effect in slightly out of focus areas?
The optical system consists of multiple surfaces of polished glass. Each will reflect away a small percentage of the light. Some of these reflections will hit other lens surfaces and reflect again. ...
- 39.7k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible