depth of field - Can I get a shallow DOF using a kit lens?

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How can I get dramatic shallow DOF with a kit lens?

Is it possible to generate shallow DOF with a "kit" lens, and how?

In my case, I have the Nikon D7000 with the 18-105mm f/3.5-/f5.6.

I am exploring my new camera and learning photography as I go. I have a few things in my head i want to learn how to do early and one of them is take images where the background is blurry behind a subject, so to make super nice portraits.

So far, all my initial shots have everything in focus. How do I get a shallow DOF effect? Or can I even do it with the kit lens?

Answer

I gave pretty much the same answer before, but here it is again for completeness. To minimise DOF and get the blurred background effect you should:

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  Use as long a focal length as possible.

  
  


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  Use a wide aperture low f/ number (but don't zoom out increase the f/ number as the actual lens opening gets no bigger)

  
  


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  Use as close a focussing distance as possible (but don't zoom out to get closer). Depth of field diminshes very quickly with focus distance, so much so that it becomes a major problem with macro photography getting a non blurred background (or subject!)

  
  


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  Compose so that the background is as far away as possible. The further away objects are from the focussing distance the blurrier they will be.