How can I get a sharp face with blurry background lights on a Nikon Coolpix 8800?
Asked 12/26/2012
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I want to create a photo where the person’s face is sharp, but the background lights are blurred. I’m using a Nikon Coolpix 8800 point-and-shoot. What camera settings and shooting setup will help me get this shallow depth-of-field effect?
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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Briefly, you can get that effect using a large aperture. A large aperture gives you shallow depth of field, so the subject will be sharply focussed while the background is blurred. On the Nikon Coolpix 8800, set the camera mode to 'A' (for aperture priority) and then adjust the aperture to a low value (low values mean large aperture, high values mean small aperture). In aperture priority mode, the camera lets you set the aperture but adjusts other factors (shutter speed, sensitivity) to produce a properly exposed image. You can also use 'M' (manual) mode, but then it's up to you to make sure the image is exposed the way you want it.
Originally by user4262. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4262
13y ago
0
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What you want is shallow depth of field: the face is in focus while the background becomes blurred.
With the Coolpix 8800, try this:
- Use A (aperture priority) mode.
- Set the lowest f-number available (largest aperture).
- Zoom in with the optical zoom rather than shooting wide.
- Move close to your subject.
- Keep the background as far behind the subject as possible.
These are the main things that increase background blur. On a small-sensor point-and-shoot, the effect is harder to achieve than on a larger-camera system, so combining all of these factors is important.
If your camera has macro mode, it can give especially shallow depth of field at close distances, though it’s mainly useful for small subjects.
So the practical recipe is: largest aperture + longer focal length + close subject + distant background. Focus carefully on the face, and the background lights should blur much more.
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