I have not always liked taking pictures. In fact, I have only recently become interested in this field. As recent as my Nokia X review. I am one of those people who always think that words and memories are superior to pictures, that pictures somewhat tarnish the moment. As a guy who describes himself as a tech geek and early adopter, it’s a narrow mindset.
But, now I have learned the error my way. I’m learning about cameras and looking at EXIF data from Flickr and 500px photos to get a better understanding. I’m learning about focal length and aperture and other technical terms, and experimenting with mobile photography.
When Google released their Camera app with Lens Blur, the internet made a splash. Yes, HTC and Sony already have such features available but they are proprietary devices. The Google entry in this field means that anyone using a Kitkat device has access to it. However, what is Lens Blur? Why should you use it? Can it really take pictures like an SLR? Let me tell you all about it.
Lens Blur
Simply put, Lens Blur creates an SLR-like effect by focusing on the subject in the foreground and blurring the background. But unlike an SLR, using Google Camera doesn’t mean spending a few hundred dollars on an expensive lens. Google Camera does this using math that’s too complicated to understand. They may also be using magic piglets.
Well, it’s not always reliable. Well, it took a while to get it right. But when it works, the results are no less spectacular.
How to make the most of lens blur
I spent a few hours testing the Lens Blur feature, both indoors and outdoors to see what worked and which didn’t. Now let me share my findings. First thing first. Google Camera doesn’t ignore the rotation lock setting. So if you have this enabled, rotating the phone to landscape mode won’t switch the UI. Until it is fixed, you will have to disable the option before starting.
How to use Lens Blur
Open the Google Camera app, slide your finger from the left edge of the screen, and select Lens Blur.
Now, keep the subject in the center of the screen and tap the shutter icon.
The application will show a slider in the middle of the screen, slide it all the way to take a photo. You can do that by slowly tilting the phone backwards or slowly lifting it up.
The image will then be displayed and in edit mode you can refocus the subject and increase or decrease the background blur.
Blurry photography is easy, but you can do a lot of things wrong. Here are some helpful notes.
Clear subject and clear background
For Lens Blur to work, there needs to be a clear foreground and a clear background. Depth field can be different but cannot have more than two layers. For example, trying to take a Lens Blur photo with the subject placed on the stairs won’t work well.
The object in the center of the screen
There seems to be no way around it. You will have to keep the object in the center of the screen or somewhere near it.
Move your device up slowly and quickly
If your subject is in the center of the screen, you’ll need to move your phone up as fast and as slow as you can – die slowly. I received the error message too many times and I had to take a deep breath before continuing.
Refocus and Blur Settings – Handle with Care
In the edit menu you can refocus the subject but focusing on the background doesn’t mean the foreground will be blurred and the entire background will be in focus.
And you should handle the blur tool as carefully as possible. The default blur level is around 20% which is the hot spot. Overdoing means messing up the borders between the subject and the background because going from clear to overblur is not something a simple camera app can handle well.
Your advice
Are you using Google Camera’s Lens Blur feature? Do you have some helpful tips to share? Let us know in the comments below.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
