Top 6 Pro OnePlus 5 Portrait Mode Tips and Tricks

The OnePlus 5 is the first OnePlus device to come with the built-in Bokeh mode or Portrait mode. This feature allows you to capture dynamic images with a stunning depth of field. While this feature was available only to DSLRs until a few years ago, this feature came to popularity after the launch of the Portrait mode in the iPhone 7 Plus.

Since capturing perfect pictures helps to tell a story more beautifully, we have lined a few useful tips for using the portrait mode on the OnePlus 5.

1. Stay in Bright Conditions

The Bokeh effect in the OnePlus calls for sunny weather conditions or bright artificial light at the very best. In low light conditions, the telephoto lens refuses to kick into action claiming either that light is low or the lens is covered.

And in case you are lucky to get the lens kicking, the background image will come with a lot of noise or you will end up with a poor quality of the depth effect.

In a nutshell, it’s best to reserve the bokeh effect when you have ample light.

2. A Colored Background is a Must

At the end of the day, the bokeh effect is a behind-the-scenes software enhancement. So, it really doesn’t help if the background is colorless or plain white in color.

In such cases, the camera doesn’t have a background to blur, thus producing pictures without a significant depth effect.

Rather, it’s a sharply focused image like the following picture (the branch fading away has more to do with mountain mist then the bokeh effect).

The art of creating dynamic pictures lies in using colorful and vibrant backgrounds so that the subject stands out beautifully.

3. Be Mindful of the Background Distance

Another important thing to keep in mind is the distance between the subject and the background.

More the distance, the better is the end result.

For instance, if you are trying to take a picture of an object lying on your desk, it would appear to be a macro shot instead than being shot in the portrait mode.

Portrait mode in the OnePlus 5 works best when the subject is within 0.3 to 6-meters from the camera. Anything less than the stipulated 0.3 meters, you’ll be left looking at a close-up shot minus the finesse.

4. Stay Off Objects with Fuzzy Border

The OnePlus 5 camera is inclined to get a bit confused when the borders of the subject aren’t solid. For example, a portrait mode on a typical windy day with the subject’s hair flying in all directions isn’t a great idea. Or for that matter, hair spikes.

In such cases, the fine line between the subject and the background dissolves producing a stark foreground which isn’t pleasing to the eye at all.

5. Lower Exposure A Tad

More often than not, the OnePlus 5 increases the exposure levels a little in the portrait mode. While the results aren’t bad, they can be made better by lowering the exposure only a bit. This trick makes the depth effect more significant.

All you have to do is focus on the subject and hold the exposure slider and lower it by a notch or two.

6. Use the Landscape Mode in Portrait Mode

The general notion is to use the bokeh effect only in portrait mode. Though it renders a beautiful image, a better way to use it is in the landscape mode.

This makes for a wider blurred background thus making the subject stand out in the picture.

That’s a Wrap!

These were some of the cool tips using which you can make the most out of the OnePlus 5 portrait mode. Though it isn’t at par with the actual DSLR-like effect, still it goes a long way to producing pictures which are admirable and impressive.

See Next: 6 Out of the Box Ways to Use a Mobile Camera