Ever wonder how to get that cool, blurry background? It’s all about the aperture … and it’s really easy to do! With Christmas just a few days away, I’ve created a mini-tutorial to help you achieve great bokeh with Christmas lights.
1. Use natural light! I shot this mid-morning, with a good amount of natural light coming in from the front door and the windows behind the Christmas tree.
2. MANUAL. Get that camera OFF AUTO! I used my 50mm 1.4 lens and opened up the aperture. You want to go WIDE. I had the aperture set at 2.2. It’s all about the aperture to get that blurry background.
3. ISO. Bump it up! I set mine at 1000, which isn’t incredibly high, but I did have a good amount of natural light. Experiment!
4. Place your subject a few feet away from the tree … about 3-6 feet away is ideal. My son is 9 months old, so I bribed him with a bowl of sweet potato puffs to keep him in place:)
5. SHOOT!
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I like more of a film-like look, so this is completely SOOC except for using Oh So Posh’s Belle Aire action (a freebie from her new Timeless Elegance Collection) with the depth turned off.
Happy shooting and Merry Christmas!!!
