Great Escape Publishing

Posted October 14th, 2015 by Bonnie Caton & filed under Travel Photography.

Here’s something you already know, and something you may not have considered…

You May Know: Blurring out the background of an image is one of the quickest ways to separate your photos from snapshots. It helps you make an impact by immediately drawing your viewer’s eye to the area of your photo that’s in focus.

See the difference?

You May Not Know: Blurring out the foreground of an image is also a fun and effective way to direct your viewer’s eye.

Here are a couple of my own stock shots that have sold, where I blurred out objects in the foreground AND the background:

Creating a soft, blurry foreground adds a nice depth and mood to each of these photos. It’s created by getting close to a foreground element and intentionally focusing beyond while using a wide aperture.

See how in the tulip photo, there’s a purple glowy haze over part of the image? That’s because my lens was right up against some purple tulips while I focused on the white-and-purple flower in the middle.

This is one of my favorite effects, because it brings the viewer into the photo. (You can also use this trick to make fences disappear, as I did here.)

If you’re not sure how to blur the foreground OR the background of an image, this month’s Breakfast Stock Club Premium Challenge Roadmap, “Focus and Blur” will show you exactly how… and guide you on using these effects specifically for stock.

Premium Members will find it on their Breakfast Stock Club Premium member page now.

If you’re not a Premium Member, yet, it’s not too late to get in on this month’s Challenge. The Roadmap I mentioned, written by professional stock photographer Andrea Gingerich, will walk you through everything you need to know. Plus, you’ll have the chance for your photo to be reviewed by a pro at the end of the Challenge… AND you’ll get a video lesson showing you the best ways to process your photos forstock, too.

Try it out this month here.

Editor’s Note: Learn more about getting started selling your photos online in stock agencies – no matter how much or little photography experience you have – in the Breakfast Stock Club e-newsletter. It’s once a week, and it’s free to join, here.