How to take a photo with blurred background?

[Snappy Phoenix]

Anyone knows how to take a photo with focus on the object in the foreground but keeping the background blurred on the HTC U11? Anything in the manual settings I should adjust or how do I go on about doing this?

 

[PapaGary]

Yep, in photography it is called "shallow depth of field".

Google it and all will be revealed.

 

[Snappy Phoenix]

Yep, in photography it is called "shallow depth of field".

Google it and all will be revealed.

when I searched for that, all I found was a mode in the HTC M8 called UFocus but that's not there in the HTC U11. Please help on what settings to change in pro mode to achieve this

 

[digitalbreak]

If you are asking if U11 has a mode called portrait mode (like in iPhone 7 Plus and OP5) or the S8's Selective Focus mode or bokeh effect as in Huawei/Honor phones - then the answer is No.

It can give you some blur based on the focus object but nothing like the above mentioned portrait mode or selective focus or bokeh effect.

 

[Snappy Phoenix]

If you are asking if U11 has a mode called portrait mode (like in iPhone 7 Plus and OP5) or the S8's Selective Focus mode or bokeh effect as in Huawei/Honor phones - then the answer is No.

It can give you some blur based on the focus object but nothing like the above mentioned portrait mode or selective focus or bokeh effect.

 

[mfreeland]

This is photography 101. The lower the f/stop—the larger the opening in the lens—the less depth of field—the blurrier the background.The higher the f/stop—the smaller the opening in the lens—the greater the depth of field—the sharper the background. You can use Pro mode and adjust this setting by sliding M towards the flower symbol. Keep the shutter speed in auto, as the lower the f-stop the faster the shutter speed will be needed,

 

[Fred98TJ]

This is photography 101. The lower the f/stop—the larger the opening in the lens—the less depth of field—the blurrier the background.The higher the f/stop—the smaller the opening in the lens—the greater the depth of field—the sharper the background. You can use Pro mode and adjust this setting by sliding M towards the flower symbol. Keep the shutter speed in auto, as the lower the f-stop the faster the shutter speed will be needed,

He's asking specifically about the U11. The aperture (f stop) is not adjustable.

OP try getting very close to the subject. That will give you less depth of field. The closer you can get to the subject the less depth of field the camera will have.

 

[Fred98TJ]

This is photography 101. The lower the f/stop—the larger the opening in the lens—the less depth of field—the blurrier the background.The higher the f/stop—the smaller the opening in the lens—the greater the depth of field—the sharper the background. You can use Pro mode and adjust this setting by sliding M towards the flower symbol. Keep the shutter speed in auto, as the lower the f-stop the faster the shutter speed will be needed,

The M slider that you're talking about is for Manual focus. Has nothing to do with the aperture (f stop) setting.

 

[Fred98TJ]

These might help. They show real bokah obtained by getting close to the subject. These are just examples, not taken with the U11, but with my phone.

 

[PapaGary]

Okay, here is how I would do it on my phone:

Download Open Camera from the app store

Set the ISO to 100

Focus very carefully on what you want to be in focus.

CLICK!

It's easier on a real camera (I have three Canon digital cameras).

 

[Fred98TJ]

Actually ISO setting doesn't really have anything to do wiTh bokah. The U11 has a f1.7 aperture so it can naturally produce some real bokah. Just have to get closer to the subject and make sure the camera is focused on the subject.
These are two quick little shots I just took while drinking my coffee. The only difference is I moved closer to the coffee cup. Note in focus background when further from coffee cup and some blurred (bokah) background when the camera is closer to the coffee cup.
That's all there is to it. Simply get closer to the subject and make sure to focus on the subject.

 

[L0n3N1nja]

This is photography 101. The lower the f/stop—the larger the opening in the lens—the less depth of field—the blurrier the background.The higher the f/stop—the smaller the opening in the lens—the greater the depth of field—the sharper the background. You can use Pro mode and adjust this setting by sliding M towards the flower symbol. Keep the shutter speed in auto, as the lower the f-stop the faster the shutter speed will be needed,

Aperture or f-stop as your calling it can't be changed on a cell phone. You change the focus distance, not the f-stop. No different than a DSLR.

 

[L0n3N1nja]

The closer you are to the object your focusing on the more blurred the background will be. You can't adjust the aperture on a cell phone camera to change to depth of field.

 

[PapaGary]

Actually ISO setting doesn't really have anything to do wiTh bokah.

Actually, setting the ISO to 100 causes the automatic aperture to go to its maximum on an automatic camera as found on a cell phone. This then will result in a narrow depth of field resulting in blurred background (or bokah) which is what the OP was wanting. In a totally automatic camera as on a cell phone it is the only solution.

 

[digitalbreak]

You certainly have to get to your lowest aperture and it's ISO value to create natural bokeh.

However, I have not seen this achieved using Pro modes and changing some values like manual focus or ISO in mobile phones. You can't change the aperture value of the lens in the smartphone.

Samsung uses some software magic with their selective focus mode which cannot be achieved using Pro settings.

All of the OEMs who do one or other form of bokeh use dual lens system.

So, I don't think it is possible to create such high class bokeh filled images with the HTC U11.

 

[Tim1954]

Some phones allow you to tap on the part of the screen you want in focus...

 

[Fred98TJ]

Actually, setting the ISO to 100 causes the automatic aperture to go to its maximum on an automatic camera as found on a cell phone. This then will result in a narrow depth of field resulting in blurred background (or bokah) which is what the OP was wanting. In a totally automatic camera as on a cell phone it is the only solution.

Cell phones have a fixed aperture and can not be changed. In the case of the rear camera of the U11, the aperture is always 1.7, reqardless of the ISO setting. You have a misunderstanding of the cell phone camera.

 

[Fred98TJ]

Some phones allow you to tap on the part of the screen you want in focus...

That's another example of what I was showing. Get close to the subject, get focus on the subject and the closer you can the more blurred (bokah) background you will have.

 

[PAC757]

Didn't the HTC M8 have this feature? I think it was called something like "Blur"?

 

[PapaGary]

Cell phones have a fixed aperture and can not be changed. In the case of the rear camera of the U11, the aperture is always 1.7, reqardless of the ISO setting. You have a misunderstanding of the cell phone camera.

Guilty as charged. I hadn't realized that a cell phone camera is dumber than the simplest point and shoot camera.