How to Blow out Background?

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?

You want blur right? As long as the shutter speed is slow enough, you will get blur even when shooting at F16.

Distance to the background and focal lengths can be as important a factor to background blur as aperture.

At shallow range, the impact is muted. Distance to background must still be substantial to get maximum blur, even with a wide aperture. Example from close range:

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Either go for the bokeh and shoot f1.8, or the blur the background and shoot 1/50th (or so). Unfortunately you can't have both though.

Biffbradford wrote in post #14668153
Either go for the bokeh and shoot f1.8, or the blur the background and shoot 1/50th (or so). Unfortunately you can't have both though.

Why not use the 55-250IS for a blurred background?

you can blur the background using zoom

not an action pic but
XSi (450D) with 55-250IS
- subject about 25 ft from camera

watt100 wrote in post #14668787
Why not use the 55-250IS for a blurred background?

you can blur the background using zoom

not an action pic but
XSi (450D) with 55-250IS
- subject about 25 ft from camera

i think the point was that with a stationary subject the blur is bokeh from the background simply being out of focus, whereas if the subject is moving and you pan the shot, the background blurs from the motion, producing two different effects.

Hi

Could i make a suggestion ... A nice effect can be achieved by shooting from the back of pickup or estate car . Get your subject to follow , works best on a narrow road with trees or buildings . practice makes perfect and I think you will get a nice sharp wall hanging shot .

Hope that helps

Otta wrote in post #14675150
Hi

Could i make a suggestion ... A nice effect can be achieved by shooting from the back of pickup or estate car . Get your subject to follow , works best on a narrow road with trees or buildings . practice makes perfect and I think you will get a nice sharp wall hanging shot .

Hope that helps

isn't that just slightly illegal and a little bit dangerous? If the police saw you doing that here you'd be in serious trouble.

did anyone mention panning, yet? im pretty sure thats what the OP wants. you don't need a fancy lens to blur out a background through panning.

You could always blur the background in post-processing.

Photography 101 ... best way to learn it is to do play with it!

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.

Owain Glyndwr wrote in post #14661251
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.

+1 to all that.

Outdoors at f1.8 you should be able to get plenty of nice blurry bokeh.
The smaller your f stop the narrower your depth of field.

Good inexpensive lenses that have small f stops (wide or fast glass) are
85mm 1.8 or the 100mm f2 bolth around 500 bucks
100mm 2.8 macro a bit more cash also more fun

If you want 200 mm at f2.8, its hard to beat the price of the 200mm l prime
the 135mm L is in the same price ballpark and is considered a lens with remarkable bokeh either can be had for about $ 1000
For about that price you can also pick up a 70-200 f2.8 sigma which will give you f2.8 all the way through its range.
I managed to pick up a USED first gen 70-200 2.8 sigma for $575, so look around there are deals to be found.