How to Blow out Background?

I took some pictures of my Brother on his Bike last week, and with Sports Mode dialed in. I was pretty amazed at the results with the 50mm 1.8. I didn't have the 18-55 or 55-250 yet. Well now i do. So my question is, Will the 55-250 Blur out the background more than the 50mm?

I look at MotoGP pictures and LOVE when the background is Blown out like crazy. It's a really nice effect that makes the subject Stand out. I know you need a really good lens to stop the Motion like that. But can the 55-250mm do it?

Here's two pictures from the Shoot, Ones kinda Blurred and the other is barely blurred.

By blow out, you mean blur out?

There are several things involved that influence this.

1. Focal Length - the longer the focal length, the better.
2. Distance to the subject - the closer you are to the subject, the blurrier the background will be.
3. Aperture - the more light you let in (smaller number=more light) the blurrier the background will be.
4. Sensor size. The larger the sensor, the blurrier the background will be.

So use the longer focal length at 250mm, open it up as wide as it will go (and 5.6 isn't that wide) and get as close as you can to frame him how you want.

Remember the pro guys are probably using a lens like a 600mm F/4 or 400mm 2.8. There is a huge difference between 400 2.8 and 250 5.6.

Thomas Campbell wrote in post #14660040
By blow out, you mean blur out?

There are several things involved that influence this.

1. Focal Length - the longer the focal length, the better.
2. Distance to the subject - the closer you are to the subject, the blurrier the background will be.
3. Aperture - the more light you let in (smaller number=more light) the blurrier the background will be.
4. Sensor size. The larger the sensor, the blurrier the background will be.

So use the longer focal length at 250mm, open it up as wide as it will go (and 5.6 isn't that wide) and get as close as you can to frame him how you want.

Ok that what i got when i looked it up last night, Now would shooting in a Direction where there's not much in the background help the Blur with the 55-250mm? Meaning if i shoot towards the Bushes & Trees to the left rather than the Apartment Complex to the right, Would that help with the Blur. Because that i think is going to be my next approach.

Thomas Campbell wrote in post #14660050
Remember the pro guys are probably using a lens like a 600mm F/4 or 400mm 2.8. There is a huge difference between 400 2.8 and 250 5.6.

Yeah ive seen some Raw files of MotoGP, 400mm, 500mm, etc. I'm just trying to make the best of what i got lol. well hopefully.

Another thing to try is panning.

If your IS has two selectable modes, switch to mode 2.

Use a slower shutter speed like 1/80th and try to pan with the motorcycle as it moves left to right. The background will blur and the subject will stay sharp if you do it right. It will definitely take a lot of work and you might want a monopod to do it.


That's how I did this. It was like 1/80th at 300mm

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

Yeah i was panning with the 50mm, I'm pretty good at it, But i know the 55-250mm is going to be a lot different panning i would assume.

Thomas... that's a sweet shot.

Haze... it will help you to understand some of the basics of photography.

• First, pick a still subject and shoot with different focal lengths and aperture settings to see what effect they have on the background. The best way to do this is to pick something simple like a figurine, get up as close as your lens will allow you to focus... and make sure that whatever is behind your figuring is far, far behind.
  
• Second, try the same group of tests with your 50mm (focal length fixed of course). With more options to open your aperture wider (small aperture number), you'll see some cool background blur capabilities.
  

Thomas Campbell wrote in post #14660040
There are several things involved that influence this.

1. Focal Length - the longer the focal length, the better.
2. Distance to the subject - the closer you are to the subject, the blurrier the background will be.
3. Aperture - the more light you let in (smaller number=more light) the blurrier the background will be.
4. Sensor size. The larger the sensor, the blurrier the background will be.

So use the longer focal length at 250mm, open it up as wide as it will go (and 5.6 isn't that wide) and get as close as you can to frame him how you want.

This is essentially correct, but it is worth noting that 1 and 2 pretty much cancel each other out, assuming you frame the subject the same way. You can fit a longer lens to decrease the depth of field (increase the background blur) but then you are framed too tightly on your subject, so you move back to get them all in again, but that increases the depth of field again and you are back to the roughly the same result where DoF is concerned.

The main control over the DoF therefore is aperture, as you can change that without it being cancelled out, although as Thomas points out f/5.6 isn't very wide.

The other way of increasing the background blur, is to keep your subject as far from the backgound as possible, the nearer the background is the less you will be able to throw it out of focus and blur it, so get him somewhere the background is further away.

You may get somebody arguing that number 4 above is incorrect (which it is, technically). The sensor size actually works the other way in that a smaller sensor will actually have shallower DoF, as you have to enlarge the image more. However, in practice, the effect that you see is as Thomas mentions, a larger sensor will result in more background blur assuming that the subject framing is the same. This is not a product of the sensor itself, but because you need to use a longer lens, from the same position, to keep the same framing. Therefore, number 1 above kicks in. The sensor doesn't give you the extra blur, the longer lens does.

As for your question about whether the 50-250 will blur the background more than the 50mm ? I don't think that is going to be the case. Yes, 250mm will give a lot more background blur than 50mm, but you will be stood a lot further back, which will reduce the blur again. As I mentioned above, the true control for DoF is aperture and the 50mm at f/1.8 used in close to the subject, will have shallower DoF than the 250mm used much further away at f/5.6 and so give more pronounced background blur.

So, set the lens to wide open (f/1.8 with the 50mm) and set up somewhere where the background is quite some way away, then get up close and personal with the subject.

What you mention can involve a combination of equipment and technique. A long focal length, large aperture and long distance to the background can lead to an apparently blurred background.

Example:

Byte size: ZERO | Content warning: NOT AN IMAGE

Byte size: ZERO | Content warning: NOT AN IMAGE

Byte size: ZERO | Content warning: NOT AN IMAGE

DJHaze596 wrote in post #14660018
I took some pictures of my Brother on his Bike last week, and with Sports Mode dialed in. I was pretty amazed at the results with the 50mm 1.8. I didn't have the 18-55 or 55-250 yet. Well now i do. So my question is, Will the 55-250 Blur out the background more than the 50mm?

I look at MotoGP pictures and LOVE when the background is Blown out like crazy. It's a really nice effect that makes the subject Stand out. I know you need a really good lens to stop the Motion like that. But can the 55-250mm do it?

Here's two pictures from the Shoot, Ones kinda Blurred and the other is barely blurred.

I'm also asking because i want to obviously use Manual Mode. So if anyone can give me some settings, That would be great. I looked up some info last night, So i'm not completely noob on this subject, But he doesn't visit much, So i want to make sure i get it right next time which will be in a few days.

Thomas Campbell wrote in post #14660040
By blow out, you mean blur out?

There are several things involved that influence this.

1. Focal Length - the longer the focal length, the better.
2. Distance to the subject - the closer you are to the subject, the blurrier the background will be.
3. Aperture - the more light you let in (smaller number=more light) the blurrier the background will be.
4. Sensor size. The larger the sensor, the blurrier the background will be.

So use the longer focal length at 250mm, open it up as wide as it will go (and 5.6 isn't that wide) and get as close as you can to frame him how you want.

wouldn't it be easier to get bokeh using the 50mm f1.8 wide open than with the 250mm at f5.6?

Yes, the more complicated way of writing it. I was going for simplicity.

Owain Glyndwr wrote in post #14660360
wouldn't it be easier to get bokeh using the 50mm f1.8 wide open than with the 250mm at f5.6?

Sure, but there are other factors. If you shoot 50/1.8 with the subject right up against a wall, you're not going to have as much blur as you would with a 250/5.6 with the background set back 20 ft.

Nathan wrote in post #14660997
Sure, but there are other factors. If you shoot 50/1.8 with the subject right up against a wall, you're not going to have as much blur as you would with a 250/5.6 with the background set back 20 ft.

true but neither of the OP's shots were done up against a wall. It looks to me like he wasn't shooting wide open. With the distance the bike was from the background, f1.8 should have produced some more noticeable bokeh, and shutter speed could be increased to reduce motion blur on the bike.

Owain Glyndwr wrote in post #14661021
true but neither of the OP's shots were done up against a wall. It looks to me like he wasn't shooting wide open. With the distance the bike was from the background, f1.8 should have produced some more noticeable bokeh, and shutter speed could be increased to reduce motion blur on the bike.

It was shooting around f4 - f5 in Sports Mode.

DJHaze596 wrote in post #14661211
It was shooting around f4 - f5 in Sports Mode.

use manual mode. try using f1.8 to start with (if the pictures turn out a little soft you may have to stop down to 2.2). Increase your shutter speed to about 1/640 and if need be, increase your iso if the light isn't too good. Try shooting later in the afternoon when you get more horizontal light. Get as close as you can to the subject with them as far away as possible from any background.

disclaimer: I'm a noob too but I tried something similar with this lens.