After setting the ISO of the camera, it maybe time that you want to take pictures of a subject that stands out from the rest, leaving the background blur.
I think there are 2 ways in doing it. One is by adjusting the aperture of the lens while the other should be post processing. I am not good in post processing and thus the only way for me is using different aperture to create the effect I want.
I did some shots of different aperture namely from f1.4, f2.0, f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f14 & f16, while maintaining ISO (at 100) and a fixed distance of approx 85cm from the subject to the camera.
I am using my D2X as my test camera. Lens used were Nikon AFS 85mm f1.4
The other settings are as follows,
Distance to subject (aiming point at 5" of the ruler) - approx 85cm
focal length - 85mm
Metering mode - Spot Metering
Focusing - Manual.
ISO - 100
Here are the pictures at different aperture setting.
Aperture - f1.4
Shutter Speed - 1/40 sec
Aperture - f2
Shutter Speed - 1/20 sec
Aperture - f2.8
Shutter Speed - 1/10 sec
Aperture - f4
Shutter Speed - 1/5 sec
Aperture - f5.6
Shutter Speed - 1/2 sec
Aperture - f8
Shutter Speed - 1 sec
Aperture - f11
Shutter Speed - 1.6 sec
Aperture - f14
Shutter Speed - 2.2 sec
as you can see, as the aperture becomes smaller, the area in which the subject is focus is more.
This is how a f1.4 would look like on a 50mm f1.4
while this is now a f16 would look like on the same lens
So now, if you want to use aperture setting to isolate the subject from the background, you can use big aperture to achieve this effect.
Happy Shooting!
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