How to create unique portrait photos?

Last Updated:- 22nd July 2023

Writing this article, I thought about the importance of background blur and how often we need it. For example, I never saw a movie with every scene against a creamy background blur. We always see good subject separation with enough background information to define the setting or location. Most of the portrait photos in this article were taken with my older Olympus EM-1 MKI and the EM-5 II. These two cameras continue to deliver excellent results for 2023.

I was interested to see what's possible with M43 cameras and if it's correct to say we can't create a background blur or subject separation with M43 cameras? For example, I used the Color Creator and Color Filters with light and a slight foreground blur to guide the viewer into the following scene. My 11-year-old EM1 MKI with the Enhanced Raw Format and Workspace made this possible.

The original EM1 MKI with the 45-175mm Lumix lens. ISO250, f5.6, 1/200 - Enhanced Raw File edited in WS.

Some questions, techniques, or lenses I used:-

1. Did I edit my subjects and the backgrounds separately?
2. Did I focus more on the f1.8 or f1.2 lenses from Olympus?
3. Do I prefer M43 macro, fixed focal length, or zoom lenses?
4. Do I use Standard, Premium, or Pro Zuiko lenses, and which ones?
5. Do these images look more like the results of a Lumix or Leica lens?
6. Which is more critical, the camera-to-subject distance or the background?

Hint:- I used a different lens each day we walked the dog. Before you read my image descriptions, take a moment and guess how I planned and took each image and what lens I used...

The EM1 with 12-200mm lens - ISO640, f6.3, 1/320, FL 200. I edited the jpeg file with ON1.

I prefer landscape, flower, street or city, and product photography. My wife agreed to be my model for our daily walks. You are welcome to guess what she said after each portrait photo..:-)

My advice to M43 photographers is to plan and grow your portrait experience. Keep notes of your camera settings or the lenses you used, any scene specifics, and the optimum "blur" distances from your subject to the background. Experiment with background types and describe those that work for your camera/lens combination. Each portrait shoot should be a fun event. Portrait shoots take planning, talking, and specific scene and camera settings. Portrait images tell stories with different surroundings, backgrounds, and a unique portrait focus...

How NOT to do portrait photography...

The Vlogger or YouTube Look. (FL=12mm).

How often does one see this "YouTube look" from vloggers with the wrong lens? Why don't salespeople advise their clients? A focal length of 25mm or less is best for vlogging. The ideal Prime Lenses for this article were the 25mm f1.4, 45mm f1.8, and 75mm f1.8 lenses. The 12-200mm, 45-175mm, 35-100mm f2.8, and 40-150mm Pro f2.8 lenses were also great for portrait photos.

The next step is selecting the Shutter Speed and Aperture. The goal is to freeze any movements with portrait photography. The best option is Manual Mode. Start with lower aperture values and target shutter speeds of 1/400 or higher. Fix the ISO and monitor the SNR to ISO ratio or shadow noise. A shutter speed of 1/400 works for Shutter Priority. (Difficult to manage sensor saturation)

The E-P3 with 75mm f1.8 lens - ISO200, f5.6, 1/200 - Edited with ON1.

Consider these points when you are doing portrait photography:-

• The distance between your subject and the background is important
• The photographer's distance from the subject is unique for each lens
• Each lens has an optimum distance from the subject & the background
• Carefully prepare and select your portrait locations and backgrounds
• Select the right focal length and move up and close to your subject
• Don't hesitate to use higher ISOs to keep your shutter speed above 1/300
• Use large apertures, soft light, and the right time of day (morning/afternoon)
• Kit lenses like the Lumix 45-175mm or Olympus 40-150mm work well
• Try fixed focal length lenses 25mm, 45mm, 75mm @ f1.2, f1.4, or f1.8
• See this page from OM-System explaining a background blur and bokeh
• Follow me on my Instagram page and learn more about my daily photos
• See this article I wrote about wildlife photography and background info

EM1 III with the amazing 40-150mm f2.8 Pro lens. ISO200, f2.8, 1/20, FL125. I used 2 Rotolight Neo 1s + Tin Foil to create this bokeh...

The tiny sensor of the Fuji Finepix FX600EXR

Another great project with my grandson and his Fuji compact...

Here is a short summary of the lenses I used:-

• The Olympus 12-200mm lens. This lens does well with a background blur or bokeh.
• The Olympus 75 - 300mm f4.8-6.7 lens. This is a unique lens when applied creatively.
• The Panasonic 45-175mm lens. A fantastic lens for creating a creamy background blur.
• The Panasonic 35-100mm f2.8. Expect excellent IQ & results from this 70-200mm f2.8.
• The Olympus 40-150mm f2.8 Pro lens. The ultimate M32 lens for creative backgrounds.
• The Olympus 12-45mm f4.0 Pro lens. My favorite. It's fantastic for subject separation.
• The Olympus 75mm f1.8. Top IQ & perfect for subject separation and background blur.
• The Panasonic 25mm f1.4 Leica lens. Super fast & great subject separation with top IQ.
• The Olympus 17mm f1.2 Pro lens. Fantastic lens but not a good choice for portrait blur.

Portrait Image - Day 1.

EM-5 II with Lumix 45-175mm lens - ISO200, f5.6, 1/320, FL=175mm. Raw file converted and edited with WS.

Day 2.

EM-1 with 12-200mm lens - ISO320, f6.3, 1/320, FL=137mm. Enhanced Raw File converted and edited with WS.

Day 3.

Olympus EM-5 II with 75mm f1.8 lens - ISO200, f1.8, 1/800. Camera jpeg converted to BW & edited with WS.

Day 4.

Olympus EM1 with the Lumix 35-100mm f2.8 lens - ISO400, f2.8, 1/200, FL = 100mm - (Not the best background).

Day 5.

Olympus EM-1 with Lumix 45-175mm lens - ISO100, f5.6, 1/80, FL=136mm. (Awesome, small, fast, internal zoom)

Day 6

EM1 III with Leica 25mm f1.4 lens - ISO200, f1.4, 1/2000. Raw converted and edited with WS. (Stunning lens)

Day 7

EM1 MKI with the 45-175mm lens. ISO640, f5.6, 1/400 - I converted and edited the Enhanced Raw File with WS.

Day 8

EM1 with 17mm f1.2 Pro lens - ISO100, f6.3, 1/100 - Raw converted & edited in WS - Excellent subject separation.

A friend of mine asked if we could do a few portrait photos of him. I used my EM1 III with the 75mm f1.8 and the 12-45mm f4.0 Pro lens. I like the AI mask function of Photoshop because it lets me edit the background and subject separately. I noticed Workspace is slower on my older iMac after the recent V2.2 upgrade. I did a factory reset on my iMac and re-installed V2.1.1 of Workspace.

See my Workspace Software update page for more information.

Applications like PhotoLab 5, ON1 2023.5, Workspace V1.5 or 2.11, Viewer 3, Photoshop 2022, PS Elements, Final Cut Pro, Luminar 4, and others work well on my older iMac. I am working on an article to discuss different PC options, photo editing options, and trends like AI... 

This is an example of a complete edit in WS. I used the Monochrome Profile tool. I also used an ETTR of +1EV.

I converted and edited my friend's portrait photos with Workspace. Olympus cameras and Workspace use the same image processing. The difference in using Workspace is advanced AI noise reduction, plus "Olympus" colors with the same image quality technology as your Olympus camera. The edited IQ differences can be significant between Workspace and editors like Photoshop or ON1.

Day 9

Olympus EM-1 III with 75mm f1.8 lens - ISO800, f1.8, 1/5000. (Creative and informative background)

EM1 III with 12-45mm Pro - ISO400, f6.3, 1/1000, FL 40 (Informative background, subject separation, movie look).

EM1 III with 12-45mm f4.4 Pro Lens - ISO800, f7.1, 1/320, FL36mm - ETTR of +0.7EV, raw done in WS.

Olympus EM1 III with 12-45mm f1.4 Pro lens - ISO400, f6.3, 1/100, FL50. (The background is part of the story)

Conclusion

As illustrated in this article, there is no such thing as some cameras cannot do this or that. Some are only better at specific applications. It's all about perspective and planning. For example, many photographers are overwhelmed by the shallow Depth of Field (DOF) of full-frame cameras and others with the native (deeper) DOF of Micro Four Thirds cameras. My advice is to ignore full-frame advocates and simply take a step closer to your subject and use the right lens for M43 photography...

Whether you do weddings or sporting events, each portrait photo tells a story. Blurred backgrounds are used with weddings to place the focus on the subject, whereas wildlife and sports photography benefit from having background information. See this video about wildlife photography in Botswana and how the photographers applied the techniques discussed in this article. Also, see this article.

One of the strong points of Olympus cameras is creative photography. Olympus specializes in features like the Color Creator, LIVE Composite, LIVE Time, ART filters, and the option to tweak the camera's Tone (Gamma) Curve. Olympus also created a fantastic range of "creative" M43 lenses. The only thing standing between you and your creative photography are those you listen to...

EM1 III with 75-300mm MZuiko lens - ISO200, f5.6, 1/200, FL150 - Enhanced Raw File converted/edited in WS + Color Creator (2:0) & Tone Curves.

This is an example of using the lens and background information to create a bokeh effect. The light shining through the trees in the background made it possible to create this lovely bokeh. I used the same technique on another image with my 45mm f1.8 MZuiko lens to create a bokeh. Study the descriptions for more information about the differences between these images...

Raw file converted and edited with Photoshop. The subject and background were separately converted with PS.

Random Images...

EM1 MKI with 12-200mm lens - ISO200, f6.3, 1/320, FL200 - Raw converted and edited with WS (Color Creator)

Should we use Olympus Pro or F1.2 lenses:-

• The Olympus Pro lenses are prime lenses with exceptional image quality.
• Olympus Pro lenses are fast lenses that make more applications possible.
• Their capturing of fine details, color, and image sharpness is unmatched...
• F1.2 primes are excellent. The 25mm and 45mm are great portrait lenses.
• The IQ differences between Zuiko Standard, Prime, and Pro lenses are tiny.
• Weather sealing and ruggedness are critical differences for Zuiko lenses.
• M43 lenses are application sensitive. Find & use the right lens for the job.

Have you ever wondered why those pushing M43 lens diffraction, dynamic range, or image noise promote the Olympus 12-100 f4.0 Pro Lens? Did you see the size and weight of this lens? These forums, reviewers, and "friendly" experts (promoters) should not be on anyone's radar list...

Here is a summary of the photography styles I used:-

• One with background information. The background is part of your storytelling.
• One with good subject separation. Focus on the subject with background info.
• Creating a creamy background blur. An atmosphere and popular wedding look.
• Creating a creamy bokeh background. Very creative and specific image look.
• Background blur, bokeh, and subject separation are techniques to tell a story...

I am so excited about the techniques we discussed in this article that it will not surprise me if this article benefits my own photography. Thinking about Lensbaby lenses, I asked myself if the above photography styles were the first step that inspired the creation of Lensbaby lenses?

EM5 II with the 45mm f1.8 lens - Enhanced Raw File converted & edited (Color Creator & Color Filter) in WS.

The most important thing about this article is the creative aspects of background blur, bokeh, or subject isolation. I will be using these lenses and techniques more in my own photography. 

The above image and the one below are the same scene. 

They are different and tell different stories... 

EM5 II with the 45mm f1.8 lens - ISO640, f14.0, 1/100 - Enhanced Raw File converted & edited in WS.

EM1 with 17mm f1.2 Pro lens - ISO100, f1.2, 1/800 - F1.2 Pro lenses offer a narrow DOF - All in WS + Color Creator.

Olympus EM-5 II with 45mm f1.8 lens - ISO100, f1.8, 1/1250 - Raw file edited with PhotoLab 6.

EM1 with Lumix 45-175mm PZ lens - ISO100, f5.6, 1/200, FL 175 - Enhanced Raw converted in WS and edited with ON1.

Original EM1 with 75mm f1.8 lens - ISO200, f1.8, 1/1250 - Converted in WS and edited with ON1.

Original EM1 with 75mm f1.8 - ISO640, f5.6, 1/160 - This image is leaning towards a bokeh.

EM1 MKI with 12-200mm lens - ISO320, f6.3, 1/320, FL200 - Raw converted and edited in WS. (Color Creator & Color Filters)

EM1 MKI with 12-200mm lens - ISO200, f6.3, 1/320, FL200 - Raw converted and edited with WS. (Color Creator & Color Filter)