CREATING
FOREGROUNDS
B Y K A T E L Y N J A M E S
5 STEPS
TO CREATING
Foregrounds
Step One : EQUIPMENT
INTRODUCTION
You must LEARN your LENSES! This is so important. If you’re shooting with a
I don’t know about you, but when I first started shooting, my main goal was to expose 24-105mm 4.5 lens and you’re trying to produce massive amounts of bokeh in your
correctly and capture my subjects in focus! Composition and fancy shooting techniques images, you’re going to struggle to do so. Knowing which types of lenses produce ample
were not a priority! I had so many other things to worry about. However, as I have amounts of bokeh is an important part of creating foregrounds.
grown as a photographer, I have found that there are certain tricks that you can try while
shooting that will make your work look more advanced, artistic and well-composed! The general rule of thumb is that lenses with longer focal lengths are going to produce
One of those tricks has to do with creating foregrounds! This is something that seems more compression in images. This is what makes the subject pop from the background
so simple and yet not many photographers take advantage of it. It could be that they just of the image! You have to have this quality in a lens in order to make the subject pop off
don’t think about it in the midst of the stress of shooting... or it could be that they have of the foreground as well. Here are a list of lenses that will give you beautiful bokeh and
tried creating foregrounds in the past and they just couldn’t produce the look that they will also make “Creating Foregounds” easier! (ps. I’m a Canon shooter, so these are all
were going for! Whatever the case, I hope that this Mini-Guide will shed some light on Canon lens options)
this topic! It’s not a technique that comes naturally to everyone, so after reading through
- Canon 85mm 1.2 or 1.8
these tips and tricks, my hope is that ANYONE can create gorgeous foregrounds in
- Canon 70-200mm 2.8
their images!
- Canon 135mm 2.0
- Canon 100mm Macro 2.8 - Canon 50mm 1.2 or 1.4
FOREGROUNDS Defined : My preferred lens for creating foregrounds is the 85mm 1.2 but I have been known to
use the 50mm 1.2 as well!
So what exactly defines a FOREGROUND? Well, I don’t know the exact terminol-
ogy, but in my world, a “Foreground” is anything between the camera the subject. So
often we are trained to avoid placing objects in between the subject and the lens because
that’s not technically the correct way to photograph someone. Anything in between the
camera and the subject that isn’t the subject of the image would be considered an unwel-
comed distraction. However, I think there are artistic exceptions to this rule!! When
foregrounds are done well, they can actually be the very thing that takes an image from
being “OK’ to being “AMAZING!”.
Step Two : LOOK FOR LAYERS Step Three : EXPLAIN IT TO YOUR CLIENT
This is the step that takes some concentration while you’re shooting. You have to be ca- There’s nothing worse than trying to capture this AMAZING shot and your clients lose
pable of slowing down, taking a deep breath and paying attention to your surroundings. their pose because you’re not engaging with them! The thing about creating foregrounds
When you’re shooting portraits, pay attention to the trees, bushes, f lorals and any other is that you need some time and you need to try shooting through several different
structures that you could potentially shoot through. I begin with my subjects interact-
branches or blooms in order to create the perfect composition! So, this means that you
ing with each other and then I start taking several steps backwards while I’m shooting.
need to tell your client what you’re up to! While you’re taking some test shots, talk to
When something comes into my frame, I’ll adjust and start creating a foreground with
that object. The goal is to create LAYERS in your images. Instead of just focusing on your clients about what you’re attempting to do! If you don’t explain that you’re going to
your subjects and then having a background, you’re creating a 3rd piece to the puzzle... a shoot THROUGH the object in front of you, you’re just going to look like a creeper in
foreground! This makes images more visually appealing in my opinion! the bushes! Tell them what’s going on and remember that the more you talk, the more
time you have to figure out your composition!
Example: Steven and Jen shared their first look in their front yard. The light was beauti-
ful but the location was lacking. It wasn’t exciting or engaging. So I backed up, saw a
lower branch that I could shoot through and I created a foreground! Instantly their
front yard became an ideal portrait location!!
BEFORE & AFTER
Step Four : FRAME THE SUBJECT Step Five : ADJUST YOUR APERTURE
Now that you’re shooting with the right lens, you have found the layers of your image The final step is to adjust your aperture until you have the desired amount of “blur”
and your clients know what you’re up to, now you have to frame your subjects! This or bokeh in your image. If you’re shooting at 5.6, you may not get the soft, romantic
means you have to allow the foreground to work WITH your composition. I think this foreground that you’re desiring. Once you have your shot set up, make sure your aperture
is where most people get stuck. It’s hard to find branches, blooms and bushes that have a is open enough to create the look that you want. I usually create foregrounds with an ap-
perfect opening to shoot through. So, you have to create an opening! Sometimes I will erture of 2.2 or below. I think 1.8 is the sweet spot! I hardly ever shoot below 1.8 when
break off a few little branches or twigs to create space... or I’ll have Michael hold pieces I’m shooting couples portraits. I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark III and I change my AF
of the branch for me! The goal is to clearly see your subjects faces but to also let your points instead of focusing and recomposing to ensure sharp subjects.
foreground create a beautiful, soft composition.
Tips for EXAMPLES & SETTINGS
CREATING
FOREGROUNDS
1. PRACTICE with Willow Trees! They are the easiest branches to shoot
through and adjust to form the perfect composition!
2. Be very vocal with your clients! Explain your shot and why you’re hiding
in the bushes! If you want, make a joke about it! I sometimes call this my
“creeper” shot because I’m hiding from them! 50MM 1.8 1/400 85MM 2.0 1/250
3. Try your shots both vertically and horizontally!
4. Create foregrounds when you have a less than desirable background. This is
the easiest way to remove distratcting backgrounds!
5. Create foregrounds when you need to soften an image or when you only
have a small location to work with. This is a great way to create variety during
a shoot!
50MM 1.8 1/400 85MM 2.2 1/500
EXAMPLES & SETTINGS EXAMPLES & SETTINGS
50MM 1.8 1/500 85MM 1.8 1/640
85MM 2.0 1/1000 85MM 2.0 1/320
50MM 2.2 1/1250 85MM 2.2 1/800