How to focus in one a subject, and make the background look so distant?

[PhotoGuru13]

I am still playing with my new camera, trying to experiment, and want to achieve this look (see pic). Focusing in on a subject, with sharpness, while blurring the background, making it look more distant. (only look at the pic on the left) I borrowed this pic from a professional photographer by the way! I tried setting my camera to AV mode, and adjusting the settings, but it didn't seem to give me what I was after. What is the best setting..speeds, aperature..etc for this look? Thanks!

[juise]

It has to do with aperture and depth of field. Check this thread out. (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=414088) There are numerous places to learn the basic of photography, but Ben did a good job there.

[potn_momma2]

I'm rather beginner and haven't quite mastered the art of aperture and such... I've found that my faster lenses (ones with a lower f stop like the 50mm 1.8) tend to give you a more shallow depth of field, as well as the zoom lenses.... from one beginner to another, hope this helps hehe

[elader]

long focal length, close in, background far away, wide lens opening.

http://elader.smugmug.com/photos/292087510_7M6zx-L.jpg

[SkipD]

This is part of Photography 101, and is all about controlling perspective in your images.

Many inexperienced photographers choose focal lengths merely to be able to frame a subject from whatever camera position they feel is convenient at the moment. They probably don't even realize that there is a huge composition advantage in finding a better vantage point for the shot. The reasons are that distance between the viewer (or camera) and subject is what changes perspective and a different angle, combined with a perspective change can potentially make a huge difference in the quality of composition in a photo.

When I am trying to be completely "in control" of my images, I will - when possible - choose my camera position based on what it does to the perspective. Then, and only then, I will choose a focal length to fill the camera’s frame with the intended image.

Here's a simple example of how perspective control can work for you:

Let's assume that you are taking a photo of some friends in a scene that has mountains in the background. You stand 20 feet from the people and view the scene. A 50mm lens will let you fill the frame with the group of people and some of the background quite nicely, so you take a shot. Then you realize that the mountains are rather small in the background.

Back up to to 40 feet (twice the distance) from the group of people and view the scene, you will see that the mountains are now larger relative to the people - twice the size they were before, in fact. However, the people are smaller in your viewfinder. You now need a 100mm lens to keep the people the same size as in the first image, but the mountains now appear twice the size that they were in the first shot.

Why is this? It's because the additional twenty feet that you put between yourself and the people is insignificant relative to the fifteen miles between your viewing spot and the mountains.

When you are closer to subjects, perspective still comes into play. If you shoot a portrait from a location very close to the subject, the nearest objects (a nose, for example) will be larger relative to more distant objects (such as an ear) than they would appear from a greater distance. That is why experienced portrait photographers like to use a little more distance - and thus a little longer lens – than some beginning photographers would choose when shooting conventional portraits. The subject will usually be happier with the perspective achieved by the greater distance.

[tonybear007]

long focal length, close in, background far away, wide lens opening.

Totally agree. The focal length of the lens you are using plays a big factor in addition to a large aperture.

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EOS 3 (35mm film), EOS 40D, Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L, 70-200 f/4L, TAMRON SP AF17-50mm f/2.8
Aperture, Shutter Speed and Creative Zone Modes Explained (http://mycanoneos40d.com/)

[griptape]

It really is a beginner question, but if that's how you're happy learning, I'm sure we'll be happy to keep answering. If you're really enjoying the process, and loving the reading and the learning, you might be best picking up a couple photography books (Bryan Peterson has a couple good ones that are pretty universally respected) just to answer questions you might not have even thought of yet, but that will answer them in a much shorter amount of time (about the time it takes you to read a non-fiction book or two :) ).

But it's not like anyone is just born knowing the mechanics or mathematical reasons or properties of light that makes you... well there's still a much more artistic side to photography, but that makes you aware of how to make what you see in front of your lens come out of the camera the way you'd LIKE to see it. Just offering another possibility that might help you learn in your own way.