How to Make Shallow Depth or Unfocused Background With a Canon

The widest lens aperture will have the lowest f-stop value.

Use the portrait or aperture-priority mode on your Canon digital camera to create a shallow depth of field, or unfocused background, in your pictures. The technique is seen often in portrait photography because it keeps the subject in sharp focus and the background doesn’t distract the viewer. A picture’s depth of field is created by amount of light allowed through the lens. The larger the lens aperture, or f-stop, the more light used and the fuzzier the background appears in the resulting picture.

Instructions

1. Turn your Canon camera’s mode dial to “Av” for aperture-priority mode. If you don’t have this mode, choose "Portrait." On some compact digital cameras you do this by choosing “SCN” and using the directional arrows and the FUNC./SET button to choose “Portrait.” In aperture-priority mode, you will choose the f-stop. In portrait mode, your camera will automatically choose a low f-stop to create a shallow depth of field.

2. Choose the f-stop if you are working aperture-priority mode. For compact digital cameras, use the control dial and look to the LCD monitor for the f-stop value. Choose the lowest number available. If you are working in portrait mode, the camera will do this step automatically.

3. Take the picture.

4. Look at the picture preview on the LCD monitor to make sure you are happy with the picture’s depth of field. Try a lower or higher f-stop with the next picture to see the difference.

Tips & Warnings

• With wide aperture settings, you must compensate for the wide aperture by using a fast shutter speed. In sunny conditions you may need to move your subject into the shade to use the lowest f-stop available on your camera.

References

• Digital Photography School; Introduction to Aperture in Digital Photography; Darren Rowse
• Canon USA: PowerShot S95: Brochures & Manuals – PowerShot S95 Camera User Guide
• Canon USA: PowerShot SD4500 IS: Brochures & Manuals – PowerShot SD4500 IS Camera User Guide
• Canon USA: PowerShot SX210 IS : Brochures & Manuals – PowerShot SX210 IS Camera User Guide