How to Get a Better Bokeh Effect in Your Portraits
- What is Bokeh Effect?
- How Camera Gear Affects Bokeh
- Physical Conditions and the Bokeh Effect
- Adding a Bokeh Effect Using Software
- Beautiful Examples of the Bokeh Effect
- Final Thoughts on Bokeh in Photography
- Recommended Photography Gear
- Product photography
- Food photography
- Macro photography
- Wildlife photography
- Landscape photography
- Architecture photography
- Street photography
- Travel photography
- The Most Important Camera Settings for Beginners to Learn
- Best Camera Settings for Portrait Photography
Photo by Krakenimages.com via Shutterstock
The “bokeh effect.” It’s a common term thrown around in photography circles, but what exactly is it? And how can you use it to take better portraits? We’ll answer those questions and more in this article!
First, we’ll define the bokeh effect and explain its benefits in portrait photography. Then, we’ll look at factors that affect the bokeh effect, such as camera gear, physical conditions, and photo editing. Finally, we’ll share a bunch of gorgeous images showcasing the beauty of the bokeh effect.
Now, without further ado, let’s dive in and discover how to get a better bokeh effect in your portraits!
Check out the video above by The School of Photography for a tutorial on bokeh photography—the easy way.
Table of Contents
What is Bokeh Effect?
Photo by lightpoet via Shutterstock
In photography and videography, the bokeh effect, or shallow depth-of-field effect, is defined as the area of a scene that is out of focus. While it doesn’t have to be completely blurry, that is usually the goal when applying the bokeh effect in portrait photography. You can have bokeh effects in either your image's background or foreground (or both!).
Why use the bokeh effect? Photographers use bokeh for three primary reasons: to isolate your subjects and draw attention to them, to add depth and storytelling to photos and videos, and to eliminate distracting elements from the scene.
How Camera Gear Affects Bokeh
Photo by lightpoet via Shutterstock
The main way to control the bokeh effect in your portraits is by adjusting the aperture of your lens. The higher the aperture settings (low f-stop numbers), the more bokeh effect you can generate. That’s why the best lenses for portrait photography are usually telephoto prime lenses with high fixed apertures (e.g., 135mm f/1.8; 85mm f/1.2).
The longer the focal length of the lens, the tighter the depth of field. This can result in better bokeh. So, if you’re shooting with a zoom lens, like a 70-200mm, prioritize longer focal lengths for improved results.
Physical Conditions and the Bokeh Effect
Photo by gorodenkoff via Shutterstock
Another key to mastering the bokeh effect is understanding how surroundings and distance play an essential role. For example, the less distance between the camera and the subject, the more pronounced the bokeh effect will be. In contrast, the further away the subject is from the background, the softer and more visible the bokeh effect will be.
The background itself can also influence the quality of the bokeh effect. Generally speaking, the more detail in the background, the more texture will show in your bokeh. Moreover, the brighter the background, the more it will stand out. Using bold colors and lights in the background are fun ways to play around with the bokeh effect.
Adding a Bokeh Effect Using Software
Photo by Kaspars Grinvalds via Shutterstock
Thanks to powerful photo editing software like Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, you can also alter the amount of bokeh effect in post-production. While it used to only be possible to enhance bokeh effects, the recent release of AI technology has made it possible to add beautiful bokeh effects to images where none existed originally.
Alternatively, if you are a smartphone photographer, many modern smartphones, like those from Apple and Samsung, feature incredible portrait modes that automatically add bokeh effects when taking photos of people.
Beautiful Examples of the Bokeh Effect
Photo by PeopleImages.com - Yuri A via Shutterstock
This portrait of a professional young woman illustrates how you can use the bokeh effect simultaneously in the foreground and background. By focusing the camera on the woman, the photographer created multiple layers of depth and blurred unwanted distractions in front of and behind her.
Photo by Kleber Cordeiro via Shutterstock
The photo above shows off a mild bokeh effect. It doesn’t isolate the subjects as much as most of our other examples, but it still creates a small sense of separation between the people and the background.
Photo by Monkey Business Images via Shutterstock
Bokeh effects are an amazing tool for close-up portraits. They focus all the attention on the main subject and allow viewers to focus solely on the fine details you are trying to capture and convey.
Photo by oliveromg via Shutterstock
Creating a bokeh effect is a great way to hide plain, boring, or overcluttered backgrounds. In the example above, instead of seeing an unattractive tree, all you see is an artistic green background.
Photo by gorodenkoff via Shutterstock
You can use the bokeh effect when taking portraits at night, too. Blurred city lights add color and intrigue to the background.
Photo by Prostock-studio via Shutterstock
Using the bokeh effect in baby photography is a wonderful way to isolate your subject from the background. Babies are often photographed on beds or white sheets that easily blend together, so the bokeh effect creates the necessary contrast and depth.
Final Thoughts on Bokeh in Photography
Photo by Kleber Cordeiro via Shutterstock
As you have learned, there are many techniques for manipulating the bokeh effect in your portrait. While the main goals of bokeh are to isolate your subject and minimize distractions, there are other creative ways to play around with it. For example, you can create unique images by focusing on other elements besides the primary subject, like in the picture above.
Finally, while the bokeh effect is most commonly used in portrait photography, it can also create stunning results in other types of photography. Here’s a list of other photography genres to experiment with bokeh in photography.
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