# Depth of field with photographs
**URL:** https://forum.kirupa.com/t/depth-of-field-with-photographs/264151
**Category:** design
**Created:** [June 23, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/depth-of-field-with-photographs/264151 "2008-06-23T15:58:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@w1sh](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/w1sh)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/depth-of-field-with-photographs/264151/1 "2008-06-23T15:58:18Z")
[http://www.tutorial9.net/photoshop/enhancing-images-with-depth/](http://www.tutorial9.net/photoshop/enhancing-images-with-depth/)
I read this tutorial a while back about incorporating depth of field. It’s very easy with objects or anything that’s sliced away from the image, but it’s really difficult for me to do with a picture of someone.
I think I’m bad at blurring or something. Does anyone know anything useful for using blur? I think an in-depth look at blurring would make a good tutorial for Kirupa.
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### Author:  [@fasterthanlight](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/fasterthanlight)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/depth-of-field-with-photographs/264151/2 "2008-06-23T16:02:05Z")
If you’re blurring an actual photograph, you cannot apply a uniform blur to the background.
Also, real photos are hard to add this effect to after the fact, as this effect’s success is entirely dependant on how the actual photo was taken, the optics,
When you use a SLR, and you make your background out of focus, there is more going on than simply blurring the background, the objects and their relationship to eachother changes, as does the overall perspective
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### Author:  [@redelite](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/redelite)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/depth-of-field-with-photographs/264151/3 "2008-06-23T16:20:33Z")
> [@fasterthanlight™;2347703](#):
>
> When you use a SLR, and you make your background out of focus, there is more going on than simply blurring the background, the objects and their relationship to eachother changes, as does the overall perspective
+1, and it is one of the coolest effects IMO! :bounce:
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### Author:  [@fasterthanlight](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/fasterthanlight)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2008, 4:21pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/depth-of-field-with-photographs/264151/4 "2008-06-23T16:21:37Z")
Yea, simple and elegant (if used properly :P)
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### Author:  [@w1sh](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/w1sh)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/depth-of-field-with-photographs/264151/5 "2008-06-23T16:22:35Z")
Ah.
I’ll still try to rip that effect off by cutting out the object (person?), blurring the background, maybe adding a blurred object to the foreground.
I dunno… I’d like to have a nice camera, but someone at my work is undoubtedly using it for uselessness.
Edit: So without me having to type SLR into google and doing all the horrid work of pressing ‘Enter’, what is SLR?
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### Author:  [@redelite](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/redelite)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/depth-of-field-with-photographs/264151/6 "2008-06-23T16:27:53Z")
Single Lens Reflex Camera, and they are worth every penny IMO. :thumb2:
> **[Single-lens reflex camera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-lens_reflex_camera)**
>
> A single-lens reflex camera (SLR) is a camera that typically uses a mirror and prism system (hence "reflex" from the mirror's reflection) that permits the photographer to view through the lens and see exactly what will be captured. With twin lens reflex and rangefinder cameras, the viewed image could be significantly different from the final image. When the shutter button is pressed on most SLRs, the mirror flips out of the light path, allowing light to pass through to the light receptor and the ...
[http://www.answerbag.com/q\_view/1341](http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1341)
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### Author:  [@Illustratr](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Illustratr)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/depth-of-field-with-photographs/264151/7 "2008-06-23T22:15:41Z")
To do this “in-camera” using an SLR you need to look into F-Stop/Aperture settings to adjust your depth-of-field at the time of shooting. It usually isn’t too difficult to do; however, as mentioned above, the relationship between your in-focus object and the area/item you wish to blur is a factor. 'tis generally easy to keep something in-focus when it is a tight and close shot as compared to trying this effect with distant objects. Though, that too is possible.
Good luck and have fun with that.
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### Author:  [@randomagain](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/randomagain)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2008, 8:46am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/depth-of-field-with-photographs/264151/8 "2008-06-24T08:46:27Z")
you can fake it, blur the background, maybe add a little water type distortion
a little fisheye type buldge,
a good way of cheating is take a photo without the object then with, that way you can distort the background later to create a more acute focus look
of course you could by an dSLR 😛
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### Author:  [@guinness](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/guinness)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2008, 6:28am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/depth-of-field-with-photographs/264151/9 "2008-06-25T06:28:36Z")
as an avid photographer and designer i say it’s always best to do it right… ie take the photograph correctly and don’t bother with PS BS.
It’s very simple to shoot with a wide open aperture. You can even do it on cheap point and shoots. Go into manual or aperture priority mode (‘M’ or ‘A’) and set the aperture to the lowest number, take picture. Repeat on highest number. Examine the differences and find a f-stop (number) in between that gives you the right depth of field (aka acceptable sharpness, aka the objects in focus both in front and behind the object you focused on).
A good planned picture is carefully crafted so that only the parts necessary to the narrative in the photo are visible.
(ex photo of a welder in which you want the people to focus on the work the welder is producing. torch , maybe entire welder is in focus but all extraneous details like car, door, pipes, other people are blurry. this tells the viewer what to look at and what the message of the image is, or what your message is.)
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### Author:  [@redelite](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/redelite)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/depth-of-field-with-photographs/264151/10 "2008-06-25T15:12:29Z")
> [@=guinness=;2348711](#):
>
> It’s very simple to shoot with a wide open aperture. You can even do it on cheap point and shoots. Go into manual or aperture priority mode (‘M’ or ‘A’) and set the aperture to the lowest number, take picture. Repeat on highest number. Examine the differences and find a f-stop (number) in between that gives you the right depth of field (aka acceptable sharpness, aka the objects in focus both in front and behind the object you focused on).
I was unaware of this. I can’t wait to get home now and test this on my new CyberShot!
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### Author:  [@geestring](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/geestring)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/depth-of-field-with-photographs/264151/11 "2008-06-25T17:48:40Z")
i havent had the time to test this plugin out. might be worth a try. I think there is a trial.
[http://www.frischluft.com/lenscare/lenscare.php](http://www.frischluft.com/lenscare/lenscare.php)
works with photoshop i think.