In the world of mobile photography, blurring the background of your photos can add a professional touch and make your subject stand out. This effect, known as depth of field, is a staple in professional photography. But did you know that you can achieve this effect right from your iPhone? In this guide, we will explore three free methods to blur the background in your iPhone photos. Whether you're a seasoned photographer or a casual Instagrammer, these techniques will take your mobile photography to the next level.

Using the iPhone's Built-in Portrait Mode

What is Portrait Mode? Introduced with the iPhone 7 Plus, Portrait Mode is a feature that uses the iPhone's dual cameras and advanced machine learning to create a depth-of-field effect. This means that your subject will be in sharp focus while the background gets a beautiful blur.

Portrait Mode is available on iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X and later models. If you have one of these models, you already have a powerful tool at your disposal to create stunning photos with blurred backgrounds.

How to Use Portrait Mode: To use Portrait Mode, open your Camera app and swipe to the Portrait option. Position your subject within the camera's frame and make sure they are between two and eight feet from your camera. Once your subject is in position, you'll see the words "Natural Light" appear on your screen, indicating that your camera is ready to take a Portrait Mode photo.

Tap the shutter button to take your photo. You'll notice that your subject is in sharp focus while the background is nicely blurred. You can further adjust the level of blur, also known as "bokeh", in the editing phase.

Using Third-Party Apps

Why Use a Third-Party App? If you don't have a newer iPhone model or if you want more control over the blurring process, third-party apps are a great solution. There are many apps available that offer advanced editing tools, allowing you to blur the background of your photos to your liking.

While there are many apps to choose from, we will focus on two popular and free options: Snapseed and AfterFocus.

How to Use Snapseed: Snapseed is a free photo-editing app developed by Google. It offers a range of editing tools, including the ability to blur backgrounds.

To blur the background with Snapseed, first, open your photo in the app. Then, tap Tools and select Lens Blur. You can adjust the shape, orientation, and strength of the blur using the on-screen controls. Once you're satisfied with the level of blur, tap the checkmark to save your changes.

How to Use AfterFocus: AfterFocus is another free app that allows you to create a depth-of-field effect in your photos. What sets AfterFocus apart is its smart focus area selection tool, which makes it easier to select the area of your photo that you want to remain in focus.

To use AfterFocus, open your photo in the app and use the smart focus area selection tool to select your subject. Then, select the background area that you want to blur. You can adjust the level of blur using the on-screen controls. Once you're happy with the result, tap the checkmark to save your changes.

Using the iPhone's Edit Function

Why Use the iPhone's Edit Function? If you prefer to keep things simple and not download any third-party apps, you can use the iPhone's built-in Edit function to blur the background of your photos. While this method doesn't offer as much control as Portrait Mode or third-party apps, it can still produce a nice depth-of-field effect.

How to Use the iPhone's Edit Function: To blur the background using the iPhone's Edit function, first, open the photo you want to edit. Tap Edit, then select the More icon (represented by three dots) and choose Markup. From here, you can use the Blur tool to manually blur the background of your photo.

Keep in mind that this method requires a steady hand and a bit of patience, as you'll need to manually select the areas of the photo you want to blur. However, with a bit of practice, you can create a depth-of-field effect that rivals that of Portrait Mode or third-party apps.

Blurring the background of your iPhone photos can add a professional touch and make your subject stand out. Whether you choose to use Portrait Mode, a third-party app, or the iPhone's built-in Edit function, you have plenty of free options to create stunning photos with blurred backgrounds. Happy shooting!

Conclusion

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