Shallow Depth of Field in Family Photography
Canon 85L @ f1.2, 1/1600, ISO 160
In 2021 I wrote the ultimate guide to family photography aimed at parents: Never Say Cheese: How to Take Great Photos of Your Kids (And Why You Should). In this blog I will be running excerpts from that book. I tried to keep it simple, as too many photography books overcomplicate things in my view.
he most critical skill in getting sharp portraits with out-of-focus backgrounds is to control the Depth of Field (DOF), usually by utilizing Aperture Priority mode. To get this look, you need to have a low aperture number (e.g., f2.8) and a high shutter speed (e.g., 1/500th). This results in that classic separation between the subject and the background.
(The overused term is ‘bokeh.’)
135mm, f2, Vientiane, Laos
Some people call it an overdone cliche, but you see it everywhere for a reason. It draws attention to the subject as the focus is only on the eyes. I know "the eyes are the window to the soul" and all that, but it's true.
All you need to have in focus are the eyes. Or at the very least, the closest eye. Get this down and your family portraits will improve markedly.
Canon 85L @ f1.2
FFor terminology, this is what you need to remember:
The smaller the aperture of a lens, the 'faster' the lens.
The larger the aperture of a lens, the 'slower' the lens.
A 35mm/f1.4 prime lens is ‘fast'. A 17-40mm/f4 zoom is 'slow'.
In my work as a family photographer, this technique is key in getting that ‘3D’ effect.
Kid on the swing is 85mm @ f1.2
