How to Take Bokeh Effect Photos with HONOR 10

Bokeh effect photos are big news right now. If you do not know much about this idea, then here's the lowdown.

Bokeh is a term used in photography. It basically means how things (mainly backgrounds) look when they are out of focus. To a trained eye, looking at the bokeh in a photograph can show what sort of lens the image was taken with. It's no new thing – bokeh effects are as old as photography itself, because they have traditionally been something that was determined by the lens itself, rather than whether the image was taken on a film or digital camera. Pro photographers spend thousands of pounds on their lenses to get their bokeh to look good, and wedding photographers are especially fond of the effect, because it puts the happy couple front and centre, blurring out the background with a gorgeous defocused look.

Now though, thanks to great digital technology on the HONOR 10 smartphone, you can accomplish the same effect without taking out a bank loan. Read on to find out all about how to take bokeh effect photos with HONOR 10.

Step One: position your subject
For great portraits, the setup is key. Don't make the mistake of having all the technology at your fingertips and then forgetting to do the basics. Make sure that you spend some time arranging your photo – it's how the pros do it, and so should you.

Make sure your subject is no more than 2m away from you. Keep checking what the composition looks like on screen and adjust until you get the right look. If there's bright sunlight around, then try having your subject turn so that the sun is hitting them diagonally. If you put them in front of the sun, they'll be silhouetted, and if they are facing directly into it... Well, no-one likes the scrunched-up eye effect, do they?!

Step Two: open the camera
This one is pretty obvious. You will need to open the camera. So, go ahead!

Step Three: get into the right mode
While you are in Camera in rear-shooting mode, tap the Aperture icon (it's right there, just along from the shutter button).

Step Four: find your focus
You can now touch anywhere on the image to set your focal point. This is the chunk of the image that you would like to be in sharp focus. Make sure you pick carefully – the best advice for stunning portraits is to always make sure the eyes are in focus. They are the windows to the soul, after all! So, touch on your subject's eyes if you can.

Step Five: adjust the aperture
This is where the magic happens. You can now adjust the round shutter icon that appears. This controls the aperture, which is a photography term related to how much light the lens lets in. Don't worry, it doesn't make your photos brighter or darker, because the camera compensates for that in other ways. What it does do, is control how much is also in focus in front and behind the focal point you selected in the last step. Having everything in focus gives a 'reality' feel, because it's the same as the way our eyes see things. Having only the subject in focus makes for a dramatic image, because it puts all our attention onto the main subject.

So, there you have it. This 'shallow focus' method has been used to great success by some of the world's greatest photographers and even by Hollywood cinematographers for decades. They know a thing or two about great images, and now you do too!