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How to simulate large aperture depth of field outdoors in Photoshop with depth maps

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Recently we showed you a tutorial from Unmesh at PiXImperfect on using the Irix Blur tool in Photoshop to simulate a shallow depth of field in the studio. That technique can also be applied to headshots on location, too, but when you’ve got varying degrees of depth throughout your scene, with multiple planes at different levels of depth, it’s not the easiest to work with.

In this video, Colin Smith at photoshopCAFE shows us a different technique for simulating depth of field effects in Photoshop CC that solves that very problem. His technique allows you to easily blur different parts of the image by different amounts based on a depth map – which he also shows us how to make.

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How to create a realistic shallow depth of field effect in Photoshop

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Shooting with a shallow depth of field has become so popular in the last few years that it’s almost become a cliché. But it remains something that’s very much in demand. Fast f/1.4 and f/1.2 lenses can be extremely expensive, though, and so very difficult for people to achieve with their f/slow-slower kit lenses, especially if working with APS-C or Micro Four Thirds sensors.

In this video, Unmesh Dinda from PiXImperfect shows us a way to simulate shallow depth of field in Photoshop using the Iris Blur filter on a smart object, with a neat tip to offer a lot more control over the Iris Blur filter than you might’ve realised it offered.

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Apple makes a Bokeh commercial, uses “bokeh” as a verb and pronounces it wrong

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“Bokeh” is a Japanese word describing the aesthetic quality of the blur in out-of-focus areas of photos. And as we all know, it’s a noun. Well, Apple decided to play with language a bit in its latest ad and turn “bokeh” into a verb. Oh, and the ladies in the ad are pronouncing it wrong as well.

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Everything you need to know about depth of field in under 4 minutes

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Depth of field can be a somewhat confusing topic to get to grips with if you’re new to photography. That is to say, it’s easy to see what depth of field is, but it can be tricky to understand what elements can cause it to change, whether intentionally or by accident. In this video, photographer Kellan Reck takes a look at depth of field and explains the variables that can affect your depth of field.

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Here’s a simple way to refocus your images in Photoshop after they were shot

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With fancy dual and triple camera phones, you can set the depth of field of your images using a simple slider. But did you know you can do it in Photoshop, too, after you’ve taken the photo? Colin Smith of photoshopCAFE figured out a way to refocus images in Photoshop after they were shot, and he’s sharing it with you in his latest video tutorial.

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Yes, sensor size matters, but not as much as you think

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Should you switch from APS-C to full-frame? Or perhaps shoot large format? Does it matter? What will it change? Ah, so many questions. In this video, Jay P. Morgan and Kenneth Meryl have decided to test four sensor sizes side by side and give you the answers. They shot with a large format, a full-frame, an APS-C and a micro 4/3 camera. Here you can compare the images side-by-side and see for yourself how much of a difference there is.

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Lenses – An overview on field of view, focal length and crop factors

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Lenses are an integral part of photography or filmmaking. Well, unless you’re using a pinhole camera. But field of view, focal length, and crop factors can be confusing for newer photographers. This video from The Basic Filmmaker goes over the basics of what they all mean and how to convert “focal length equivalency” for non-full frame sensors.

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25 essential terms that every photographer must know

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Getting used to the sheer number of technical terms and numbers in photography can be pretty overwhelming for beginners. There are a lot of them out there. But you don’t really need to know about all of them from day one. But there are some that you’ll want to learn and understand first.

You’ll hear these terms quite often if you hang around other photographers or partake in any of the photography groups on Facebook. They might confuse you at first, but this video from Apalapse goes through 25 of the most important and breaks down exactly what they mean.

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The ultimate portrait bokeh shootout – Crop vs full frame vs large format

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When it comes to the discussion fo bokeh, we often hear of the “benefits of full frame”. There are many comparisons out there all over the web, extolling the virtues of a larger sensor, and how a full frame mirrorless or DSLR is the “ultimate”. It’s really not, though, if that’s your goal, which this video from photographer Bill Lawson sets out to prove.

In this side-by-side shootout, he compares a Nikon D7000 DX body, along with a Nikon D700 full frame DSLR and 4×5 large format. He uses 50mm, 85mm and 300mm lenses to achieve a similar field of view with each of the different cameras, and gets to work.

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A simple technique for faking subtle shallow depth of field in Photoshop

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I’m not a massive fan of faking optical characteristics in post. I prefer to shoot it the way I’d like in the first place. But sometimes it’s not always possible. Sometimes you don’t realise until after you’ve got the image up on the computer that something is a little more in focus than you’d have liked.

Shooting in the studio, for example, you’re often around f/8, to allow your subject some freedom of movement. With a solid background it doesn’t matter if it’s not blurred out. But it can often cause shoulders or other body parts to be a little sharper than you’d hoped. In this video, Joe Edelman walks us through a simple technique to help soften those areas in Photoshop and simulate them being out of focus.

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