Controlling Portrait Backgrounds: How to use Depth-of-Field and Angle-of-View for Composition

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STARTER CAMERAS:
Basic Starter Camera ($280 used at Amazon): Canon T3
Better Starter Camera ($500 at Amazon): Nikon D5300
Better Travel Camera ($500 at Amazon): Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II

LANDSCAPE CAMERAS:
Good ($550 at Amazon): Sony a6000
Better ($1,400) at Amazon: Nikon D5500 & Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8
Best ($3,150) at Amazon: Pentax K-1 & Pentax 24-70 f/2.8

PORTRAIT CAMERAS:
Beginner ($950 at Amazon): Canon T6i & Canon 50mm f/1.8
Better ($3,000 at Amazon): Nikon D610 & Tamron 70-200 f/2.8
Best ($5,300) at Amazon: Nikon D810 & Nikon 70-200 f/2.8E

WILDLIFE CAMERAS:
Starter ($1,100 at Amazon): Canon 7D & Canon 400mm f/5.6
Great ($3,200 at Amazon): Nikon D500 & Nikon 200-500 f/5.6

VIDEO CAMERAS:
Beginner ($500 at Amazon): Panasonic G7 & Panasonic 14-42mm
Better ($1,400 at Amazon): Panasonic GH4 & Panasonic 14-140 f/3.5-5.6
Best ($4,300 at Amazon): Panasonic GH5 & Metabones Speed Booster XL & Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 & Sigma 50-100 f/1.8

DRONES:
Beginner ($400 at Amazon): DJI Phantom 3
Travel ($1,000 at Amazon): DJI Mavic Pro
Better Image Quality ($1,500 at Amazon): DJI Phantom 4 Pro

27 Comments
  1. Tony & Chelsea Northrup says

    📷Portrait Gear Recommendations:📷
    Beginner ($950 at Amazon): Canon T6i http://help.tc/t6i & Canon 50mm f/1.8 http://help.tc/c50
    Better ($3,000 at Amazon): Nikon D610 http://help.tc/d610 & Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 http://help.tc/t200
    Best ($5,300) at Amazon: Nikon D810 http://help.tc/d810 & Nikon 70-200 f/2.8E http://help.tc/n200e

  2. L Golden says

    That is such a silly concept to control your background by camera position in a portrait. In portraiture you choice of camera position depends on the subject's face, since after all that is what the portrait is about. Low camera position to reduce a large forehead and increase the chin line, high camera position to decrease the look of a long face or large chin, NOT to find a better background. It's a portrait after all and the appearance of the subject's face should be more important than the background. This is an example of Nero fiddles as Rome burns.

  3. TheSharperCoder Blog says

    Adobe PS has reached the point where bokeh created by the lens is irrelevant. I say, stop down the lens to get the subject in complete focus, and adjust the background in post.

  4. Simon Kennedy says

    Chelsea she as sweet as a Chelsea bun omg meow

  5. William D'Alexander says

    That's not fair,,, it's easy to take great pics when you have such a beautiful model…… anyway,, i just wanted to say thank you to you both,, all of your videos have really helped my beautiful wife and I take much better photos….. we are just getting into photography and appreciate all the tutorials you both have put out….

  6. Aman Gupta says

    amazing couple

  7. Really helpful Thank you.

  8. root9065 says

    With a subject like that, even the most advanced camera will have a hard time focusing on the background haha

  9. Jean-Jacques MONOT says

    Hello, a "new" question about DOF and devices : is there any devices (DSLR or mirrorless) that integrates a DOF calculator ? When using for ex 100mm or 200mm for proximity photos (flowers, butterflies, …) on "A" mode (on the Nikon D750 ou D7200 I have), I have to use my smartphone with a DOF calculator app to be able to choose the just "right" aperture. It is very surprising that devices do not integrate such a calculator, as all parameters are available ? It seems that some Sony lenses have a LCD display for this, but I do not know if you can find DSLR or mirrorless with such function.

  10. Joe Jackson says

    u 2 have not aged one bit lol

  11. Pawel Wysocki says

    I've made tons of photos in my life. Every tip of the photographer is good. Each tip is interesting. Nowhere in this movie did I see the camera settings for the best shot you've made, so what is your message to the viewer. :). I think the answer is simple. Sell your books that are not cheap.

  12. Dan Cobb says

    I would like to know what focus mode, AF-mode and metering mode was used.

  13. Harley Cooper says

    Love watching this after watching one of your videos from 2018.

  14. Cesar Rivarola says

    excellent , I would like to ask you what kind of body camera no too expensive could be a good one for the Canon EF 70-200 MM F-4L IS USM LENS, thank you

  15. Roger Lee Meyzindi says

    CHELSEA BROUGHT ME HERE !

  16. Steve Miller says

    finally bought one of your books…looking forward to getting it.

  17. bestamerica says

    '
    look good picture but…
    but bad blurr focus as depth of field on the back area

  18. Ijaz TechCare says

    That model…..awwwwwsmmm

  19. ** Rick Leahigh ** says

    Very nice house you have there Tony

  20. Jason jamie says

    Why Chelsea, is so f…k…g hott….all the time that I watch your videos I always enjoyed watching Chelsea the beauty queen. Man you are such a one lucky guy to have a beautiful wife Chelsea, at the same time you too are handsome..great couple..plus …great photographers.

  21. Sarvesh V says

    Is T stop a better way to measure depth of field too? Or is it just for the amount of light entering?

  22. Naif Mohammad Sharif says

    Who else is here for subject

  23. B P says

    Chelsea is so beautiful

  24. pinakim11 says

    Video is concise and helpful. I just ordered a new prime lens and will use the guides mentioned in video. Hope I will get some great snaps. Thank you so much.

  25. LilLion1818 says

    hello from 2017

  26. Sam duncan says

    Chelsea is so cute

  27. John HUNTER says

    It is possible to split attention—I found I was listening to Tony but watching Chelsea … and I just love the interactions. (My wife says that as typical man I can't multi-task; news for her.) I bought the book but am watching the videos first, boom boom!

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