Can you get background blur (bokeh) with a smartphone camera?
Asked 12/21/2012
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I’d like to create photos with some parts of the image out of focus using a typical smartphone camera. Is true optical bokeh possible on phones, and if so, what shooting technique helps?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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Cell phone cameras don't have moving parts, such as aperture blades. So they will be working at a fixed aperture, their widest. And they'll have a very short focal length, meaning a very wide depth of field. So to get a blurred background will be very tough. You'd need to focus on a subject very close, with a background very very far, and even then, it's unlikely that you'll get bokeh as you would get from a real DSLR.
You'll have to resort to "Bokeh apps" that can add Bokeh lights to a picture you took.
Originally by user14163. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user14163
13y ago
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Yes, but only to a limited extent with most phone cameras. Smartphones typically use a fixed, wide aperture and a very short focal length, which gives them a very deep depth of field. That means most of the scene stays in focus compared with a DSLR or larger-camera system.
If you want the most natural background blur a phone can produce, focus on a subject that is very close to the camera and keep the background as far away as possible. Even then, the blur will usually be modest rather than the strong bokeh look you get from larger cameras and lenses.
If you want a stronger effect, many people use software-based portrait or “bokeh” apps/effects to simulate blur after capture.
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