When you’re introduced to photography, one of the techniques everyone seems to want to learn is how to create images with a blurry background. The technical term for this is “shallow depth of field”. This is easily achievable when using DSLRs or even prosumer cameras, but creating such images with your camera phones may be a challenge. But it’s not impossible. In this post we will see how.
Author: Karlo de Leon
Karlo de Leon is a travel and lifestyle photographer. He has a knack for understanding how and why things work, taking particular interest in lighting, composition, and visual storytelling.
Connect with him on Twitter where he shares his insights, ideas, and concepts on photography, travel, and life in general.
“How do I get off Auto?” When someone learning photography begins to ask this question, you can tell that there is a greater level of enthusiasm in the person about photography. Suddenly, photography becomes more than just capturing snapshots. There is a big difference between staying in the comforts of the Auto mode and taking your skills a notch higher by embracing the Manual mode.
Composition is one of the most important skill areas of photography. Of course, some may argue that it is the camera, while others would say it is light. But when looking at it closely, photographic art seems to rely mostly on composition and how elements interact inside a frame. There are 3 composition techniques you have probably never heard of before. Check them out in this post.
There are many photographers who are very particular about sharpness. This is not a bad thing. In fact, it is a good practice to check for sharpness. But sometimes there is too much emphasis on sharpness that it seems like a photo is a lost cause when it isn’t very sharp. This creates a tendency to treat blur like an enemy. However, blur can be utilized creatively in many ways.
Viewers often prefer the rule of thirds simply because it creates a certain flow or direction that the eye can follow – a flow or direction that is pleasing to the eye. But it doesn’t always work and a lot of very good photographers consider it more a “guideline” than a rule. Let’s look at why.
Composition is critical in photography, and it is something that every photographer wants to understand. While there are different rules for composition that you can follow, like the rule of thirds, leading lines, S-curve, and a whole lot more, there is an aspect of composition you need to look into to understand these rules better – the different roles of elements in a frame.
