If you’ve ever wondered how to blur background with DSLR to make your subject pop, you’re not alone. The secret lies in Aperture Mode—a beginner-friendly setting that gives you creative control over depth of field. In this post, I’ll show you six of my photos and walk you through how I used Aperture Mode in each one to achieve that beautiful, soft background blur.
- How to Blur Background with DSLR in Pet Photography – Kenzie in the Leaves
- Elegant Bar Photos – How to Blur Background with DSLR Indoors
- Wildlife in Focus – Blurring Through the Bush in Tanzania
- How to Blur Background with DSLR for Closeups – A Swallowtail Butterfly
- Blurred Backgrounds Make Portraits Shine – A Mother-Daughter Portrait at the Beach
- Portrait Comparison – DSLR vs iPhone: How Aperture Mode Makes the Difference
- Wrap Up: How to Blur Background with DSLR—No Manual Mode Required!
- Now It’s Your Turn
How to Blur Background with DSLR in Pet Photography – Kenzie in the Leaves
Settings: ISO 100, f/4.0, 1/200 sec
This portrait of my Boston Terrier, Kenzie, was all about making her the star of the frame. The golden leaves were lovely—but also distracting. By choosing Aperture Mode and setting my aperture to f/4, I was able to blur the background just enough to separate her from it.
💡 Try This: If you want to blur the background with your DSLR for pet portraits, get low, focus on the eyes, and keep the background as distant as possible.
Elegant Bar Photos – How to Blur Background with DSLR Indoors
Settings: ISO 12800, f/4.0, 1/125 sec
While waiting for a friend to join me at the bar in the Williamsburg Inn, I started playing with my camera.
The environment was elegant but cluttered, and I wanted to convey a sophisticated feeling and avoid the chaos. I switched into Aperture Mode and set a low f/stop number to blur the background. That also let in more light, which helped with the dim lighting.
I love how this photo turned out. It uses background blur to turn crystal glasses of lemons and limes into something more refined, and shooting at f/4 helped me blur the bottles and lights behind the fruit.
Can you see the circles of light in the background? They’re called Bokeh. It happens when you shoot bright lights in a dark environment with a wide aperture (low aperture number). The blurred light is the shape of the aperture! The lower the number, the rounder the circles.
💡 Try This: Learning how to blur the background with a DSLR indoors often means raising your ISO. Don’t be afraid of it—your camera can handle more than you think!
Wildlife in Focus – Blurring Through the Bush in Tanzania
Settings: ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/60 sec
When we spotted these two Cape Buffalo in Tarangire National Park, in Tanzania, they were partly hidden in the brush. In fact, we almost drove past them in the safari truck.
By setting my DSLR to Aperture Mode and using f/5.6, I could blur both the branches in front of and behind them. This is a great trick when you’re shooting wildlife through obstacles.
Why did I use f/5.6 instead of a lower number? I was shooting with my 70-200mm lens combined with a 2X extender. That made it into a 400mm lens, which allowed me to capture sharp images of animals that were far away. But, the downside to using an extender is that it adds two stops to your minimum aperture. So f/5.6 was as low as I could go.
💡 Try This: Aperture Mode is one of the best ways to blur the background with a DSLR when photographing wildlife in cluttered settings.
How to Blur Background with DSLR for Closeups – A Swallowtail Butterfly
Settings: ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/250 sec
This butterfly was so well camouflaged that it nearly blended into the lantana blooms. I had just seconds to capture it as it paused at each tiny flower to sip nectar. Using Aperture Mode at f/5.6 helped isolate the beautiful insect from its busy green surroundings.
And, you guessed it. I was stalking the butterflies in my front yard with the same long lens plus the 2X extender.
💡 Try This: When figuring out how to blur the background with a DSLR during close-up shots, move in as close as possible, keep your aperture wide, and use a longer focal length. Having a very long lens helps when dealing with skittish wildlife!
Blurred Backgrounds Make Portraits Shine – A Mother-Daughter Portrait at the Beach
Settings: ISO 400, f/4.0, 1/500 sec
I wanted this photo to feel like a keepsake, not a snapshot. By choosing Aperture Mode and blurring the trees and beach behind my daughter and granddaughter, the moment became more personal, more focused.
💡 Try This: To blur the background with a DSLR in portraits, look for soft natural light, use a wide aperture (f/2.8–f/4), and place your subject several feet in front of the background.
Portrait Comparison – DSLR vs iPhone: How Aperture Mode Makes the Difference
Settings: DSLR: ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/200 sec | iPhone 14 Pro Max
These two portraits of my friend Michael show exactly what happens when you blur the background with a DSLR.
The first is an iPhone photo. I shot it with an iPhone 14 Pro Max. It’s sharp throughout— nice, but busy. Really, a snapshot. I didn’t use Portrait Mode because Michael was too far from me. And, my iPhone was older, so it didn’t recognize a human face and capture and save the depth information.
The DSLR version, taken in Aperture Mode at f/2.8, softened the background and gave it a more professional, flattering look.
💡 Try This: If you want DSLR-level results, use Aperture Mode, shoot at f/2.8–f/4, and let the background fade into softness.
Wrap Up: How to Blur Background with DSLR—No Manual Mode Required!
Whether you’re photographing pets, people, nature, or details, learning how to blur the background with your DSLR using Aperture Mode is a game-changer. It simplifies the process and helps you create photos that feel intentional, not accidental. Best of all, you can be ready to shoot faster than when you’re using Manual Mode.
If you’re not sure of the lighting, try setting your ISO to Auto. This will allow the camera to use the ISO to balance the exposure correctly. And if you’re not crazy about the exposure your camera is choosing, take a moment to set your Exposure Compensation.
Aperture Mode is my favorite camera mode and the one I’m usually using. Give it a try and see if you don’t agree!
Now It’s Your Turn
🎓 Want to truly understand how to blur background with DSLR—and take control of your camera without stress?
👉 Join my Camera Mechanics Workshop, where I’ll walk you through the settings and strategies that make photography fun and approachable.
🔥 And for more Aperture Mode inspiration, be sure to read this post.
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