hj Loc: Florida

My Daughter-In-Law wants me to shoot our grand daughter with a "soft" look similar to the attached photo of my other granddaughter taken by someone else. I have always gone for the sharper image. Any thoughts how I can get the soft look? I shoot with a Canon 70D. I'm not referring to photography bokeh in the background but the over-all soft look. I have a fog filter and that was way too much.

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Tim Stapp Loc: Mid Mitten

Large aperature.

twowindsbear

The easiest way is a soft focus 'portrait' filter. And check your camera's 'artsy' modes.

Check your fav PP program , too, for a preset that may work.

Good luck.

kenievans Loc: Dallas

Shoot it as you normally would but when you are processing the image you need to reduce the clarity. I don't know what app you are using for your processing but in both Lightroom and Photoshop, reducing the clarity gives it an overall soft focus and a little glow to the skin. That is a very quick and simple way to do it.

lowkick Loc: Connecticut

The place to start is in PP. Move your contrast slider to the left of center until you start to get the results you are looking for. If you are using LR, try playing with the clarity slider.

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

You got it.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I would stop by this section of UHH:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-127-1.html

.

Vietnam Vet

That was probably shot with a 2.8 or wider aperture.
Shooting wide open: The closer you are to your subject and the further your background is from your subject the better the result will be.


Here is what we used in film days

Center spot filter
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/22739-REG/Hoya_S72CSPOT_72mm_Center_Spot_Glass.html

Soft focus filters
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=soft%20focus%20filters&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search=

jak86094

I saw an article on the FStoppers web site that you will find very useful, “No, Larger Sensors Do Not ProduceShallower Depth of Field.” This May not sound very pertinent, but it really explains how to get shallow DOF and therefore that soft background.

Three factors are involved. First, decrease your focus distance (distance between camera and subject in focus). Second, use a longer lens. Longer lens, will have less depth of field. Third, use a larger aperture. The best combination of these factors will depend on the lenses you have available. Also, don’t place your subject close to the background.

I think if you view this video you will really learn a lot about accomplishing your goal.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

If you have LR or some other PP App that has a "Clarity" or "Structure" slider just back that off a wee bit. Here are two of my daughter in which #2 has Clarity backed off. The more you back it off the softer it gets. Here I stopped just at the point where facial features started to disappear. The colors look much better in download.

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User ID

Your fog filter will have a differing degree of effect
on different lenses, even lenses of the same speed
and same FL.

Think of how a slightly dirty window is easier to see
thru when you eye is very close and the same minor
dirt can be a visual obstacle at a greater distance.

Example using a 50mm FL, on both a prime and on
a zoom. The "real lens" is viewing the world from
50mm ahead the sensor, actually just a few mm in
front of the EF mount. But with a 50 prime, the fog
filter is only about 40mm away from the "real lens".
OK, now set a bulky zoom to 50mm. How far away
is the filter this time ? More further, more fog effect.
Same FoV, same f/stop, different degree of effect.

The optical science about the "real lens" is not fussy
correct in every detail but is communicates the idea
in simple terms ... like the dirty window example.

You can stretch food wrap over your lens, taut so it
doesn't touch. Fog filters come in various strengths,
but really taut food wrap is a rather weak effect ...
and it's cheap ! Do you have only one fog filter or a
whole set ?

If you happen to have the 40mm pancake, that will
put your fog filter or food wrap as close as possible
the "real lens" and minimize the effect. 40mm is a
good FL for the framing in your sample shot when
used on tour APSC body. Good even for a head and
shoulders, but a bit short for real close ups or tight
head shots. Maybe you have an excuse to buy one !

.

hj Loc: Florida

Quite honestly I don't use lightroom or Photoshop PP software. I have been satisfied with the various features of Apple's "Photos" software. Just a hobbyist. That being the case I supose my best bet would be use a softening filter. Looking on B&H and Adorama I see numeric designations like 0, 1, 2 and 3 which I don't understand. Do they just mean the higher the number the stronger the softening effect?

hj Loc: Florida

User ID, I have only one fog filter and the effect is much to strong. However I think I'll try your suggestion of taut food wrap as an experiment. I am willing to buy a soft focus filter but am confused by the numeric designation of 1, 2, 3 etc. Guessing that maybe it signifies the degree weak to strong of the softening effect?

hj Loc: Florida

robertjerl, I really like the example you have given. Unfortunately I use only Apples Photo software which doesn't have a clarity slider. Am coming to the conclusion I need a soft focus filter.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Proper lighting is the first step. Using a large bounce surface, like a 4x8 piece of insulation board with either natural light or a bounced monolight will give you a big advantage. I think this photographer gets the look you are seeking:

http://myspionline.com/speaker/fuzzy-duenkel/

And among his lighting props he uses a large bounce surface.

Here is a DIY approach that doesn't cost a fortune:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJO9IZPQnKM&t=113s

You may want to google the Orton effect. It's worth a look. It's a little different from the image you posted, but it could work.

I don't like to use the clarity reduction because it affects all the detail. You may want to think about doing this with a duplicate layer, and applying a little gaussian blur, and using an opacity adjustment to get the effect you are looking for. But there are other ways.