Years ago most photographers would purchase a 35mm SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera that came with what they called a normal 50mm f1.8 or F1.4 lens.

Zoom lenses were usually very heavy, expensive and not that sharp, so we learned to use our Normal lenses on our cameras to produce some pretty amazing results. One other reason was the film available for our cameras were usually pretty slow and that meant you would shoot with 100-200 ASA film that need a very fast lens.

Definition: When we say a lens is Fast it means the lens, due to lens design, optics and mechanics, has the ability to accept a great deal of light when the lens is wide open.

You will want to shoot at 125 to 250 of a second to prevent camera shake you need these fast lenses that won't need as much light to give you a good exposure.

Today, we have digital cameras that can shoot at 3200 ASA or higher and even though the results might be noisy (we use to call that grain with film), we deal with it.

Manufacturers of cameras and lenses figured out they could sell you a more expensive zoom lens, even it it was slow (F4.5-5.6) and you would be fine.

The problem is not only zooms are much heavier then a fixed focal length lens but they require more light and higher speeds to record the images properly. They won't give you those same beautifully soft backgrounds in the images you shoot as the F1.8, 1.4 or 1.2 lenses will.

The soft out of focus background now has a name and it is called Bokeh. So if you want nice Bokeh in your lens you have to go back to those 50mm, f1.8 of faster lenses and use them.

I am going to tell you the steps to take amazing shots like my samples with these inexpensive lenses and save your back from carrying around a heavy camera with a large zoom lens.

If you don't have a decent Digtial SLR that will allow you to change your lens, you need to get one.

There are many excellent cameras available today and if you are just upgrading from a point and shoot digital camera you can purchase a great new DSLR from about $400 for the body up to thousands. I would say spending about $600-$800 will give you a really nice camera.

1. If you are purchasing the camera, you will only need to purchase the body only, unless the zoom lens they pack with it is so inexpensive it doesn't pay to buy the body only. They usually give you a modest zoom lens like and 18mm to 55mm lens which you really won't need if you get a small, lightweight fixed focal length 50mm lens. Some will come with a more powerful zoom, it is a decision you will have to make based on your needs and wallet.

2. You will want to purchase your camera manufacturers 50mm or similar F1.8 (lowest cost) or their F1.4 lens. There are others available from Tamron, Tokina, Sigma and other manufacturers, but in checking they actually have some more features but cost more then the simple 50mm lens from the company that made your camera.
   
   I have a Nikon D90 and bought the Nikkor 50mm F1.8 lens for about $125 and I love it.

3. Now assuming you have your DSLR and your fast 50mm lens you want to start to shoot some portraits or other subjects where you intentionally want the background to go soft and out of focus. People, we want nice Bokeh on our photos like the sample below.

4. You will be setting your camera to shoot in the A mode with is aperture priority mode.
   
   The reason to shoot in this mode is we want to have the lens opened all the way to F1.8 or F1.4 depending on the lens you own.

5. Now Set the focus to manual now instead of leaving it at automatic...
   
   The reason for this is that your Depth of Field, the distance beyond or in front of the sharpest focus point that will still be in focus will be quite shallow. If the lens is open all the way to F1.8, and you are focused on your subjects eyes (an example) then you may start to see the photo get soft in a couple of inches to the front of his eyes to the back. Look at this sample of Levi a beautiful Great Dane and you will see I focused on his eyes which are sharp and if you beyond the eyes, you will see they are already out of focus and now give me a nice Bokeh.

6. Practice with you lens and be sure to keep the focus sharp on the point in the photo you want to be sharp. If you are shooting a scene and need a little more depth of field, then close the lens down from F1.8 or either F2.8 or F4 and see if that works better for you.
   
   The higher the F number the less light is getting into the camera and the larger the depth of field, so if you need a longer DOF, then simply adjust the lens opening of the camera.

7. If you really want to impress other photographers with your knowledge of photography, when you see a nice photo with good Bokeh, tell them that. They will look at you like you are speaking another language, unless they are pros too :-)
   
   You can read an extensive article I wrote on this subject using software to produce Bokeh. You will see samples of my work and how I took these shots that now look like they were shot with a 50mm lens.

   • Your camera will set the proper shutter speed for the correct exposure in the A mode, so you won't have to worry about getting the proper exposures.
   • You can determine where you want the photo to start to go out of focus using your lens openings to change the DOF
   • When you review your images on your DSLR, enlarge them to see what is in and what is out of focus. It is hard to do on some of these small screens, so just click on the button that allows you to enlarge the images in the review mode.
   • You should be fine with an F1.8 lens which should cost about $125-$150, if you go for an f1.4 lens or faster the price goes way up and can add another $200 or more to the cost. Unless you are a pro and price doesn't matter, stay with the F1.8 lens
   • Note: You can also get Bokeh from a zoom lens, but you will need have to shoot where the background that you want to go soft will have to be quite a long way in the distance. Remember the smaller your aperture on your lens the wider the Depth of Field is. So on a lens shooting at f5.6 or f8, you may have to be a block away to have that background go soft. On a 50mm F1.8 lens, you could go to a soft background that is literally inches away from the point of sharpest focus.
   • Remember that a fixed focal length lens (50mm vs. a zoom like an 18-135 or similar) means you will have to move in and out to frame your shots, a zoom will do that for you in the lens. So expect to do this with your 50mm Lenses.