FUNDAMENTALS
Make shallow focus edits in Lightroom
Get that creamy look in your portraits with the tone curve and masking features
FILE & VIDEO
www.digital cameraworld .com/dc271
Sean McCormack
Sean McCormack is a photographer and writer, based in Galway. He’s the author of The Indispensable Guide to Lightroom CC.
There’s nothing like the look of shallow focus in a portrait. Whether you’ve used natural light or flash via high-speed sync, the creamy look as the face T fades into the background is sublime. When you nail focus and exposure, all the parts naturally come together for a beautiful, soft portrait. The trick to this look is using fast primes; it doesn’t have to be expensive, as most makers have budget prime lenses with an aperture of f/1.8. While not as sweet as their f/1.4 or f/1.2 counterparts, they do allow you to get closer to the look without breaking the bank. It’s worth investing, though, and many photographers use these lenses for their signature style.