PROMPT GUIDE

Depth of Field Prompts: Background Blur, Bokeh and Lens Effects

To blur the background and make the character stand out, use two basic tags: depth of field and blurry background. Round light blur is bokeh, and darkening the corners is vignetting. Most effects that come from a camera lens can be added with a single tag.

Last updated: 2026-10-22 approx. 3 min read

日本語版

The short answer

The basic prompt for a blurred background is depth of field, and blurry background makes the blur stronger. Round light blur is bokeh and darkened corners are vignetting. Only blurry blurs the whole picture, so put it in the negative prompt instead of the main prompt.

What is the prompt for depth of field and background blur?

The prompt for a shallow depth of field (only a narrow range in focus) that blurs the background is depth of field. On Danbooru you can separate a blurred background, blurry background, from a blurred foreground, blurry foreground. depth of field alone already blurs the background, but adding blurry background makes the amount of blur more consistent.

Blur and depth of field tags

Tag	Meaning	Note
`depth of field`	Shallow depth of field	The background blurs and the character stands out. The basic tag Details
`blurry background`	Blurred background	When you want a clearly visible amount of blur Details
`blurry foreground`	Blurred foreground	Blur flowers or grass in front to add depth Details
`bokeh`	Bokeh (round light blur)	Lights bloom into circles. Great with night views and illuminations Details
`blurry`	Whole-image blur	Often used in the negative prompt. In the main prompt everything blurs
`motion blur`	Motion blur	For fast movement and vehicles Details

Anime girl portrait with shallow depth of field and a blurred background — 被写界深度・背景ぼかし

Anime girl at night with bokeh city lights behind her — 被写界深度・背景ぼかし

Illustration usage rules

What are the prompts for vignetting and lens flare?

Darkened corners are vignetting, streaks of light are lens flare, and a grainy texture is film grain. Add them one at a time.

Lens effects that make a picture look like a photo can also be written as tags. vignetting darkens the four corners to pull the eye to the center, lens flare is the streak of light created when strong light reflects inside a lens, and chromatic aberration is the color fringing on edges. They all tend to come out strongly, so try them one at a time.

Lens effect tags

Tag	Meaning	Note
`vignetting`	Vignette (corner darkening)	The corners get darker and the eye goes to the character in the center Details
`lens flare`	Lens flare	Pair with backlight or the sun Details
`chromatic aberration`	Chromatic aberration (color fringing)	A little gives a film photo feel. Too much looks smeared Details
`film grain`	Film grain	A grainy texture Details
`fisheye`	Fisheye lens	The picture bends into a circle. For full body shots or rooms Details
`photo (medium)`	Photo-like medium	A strong tag that pulls the whole style toward photography

How do I blur only the background? (steps)

Use a close framing for the character, describe the background location, and add depth of field. The order is as follows.

Write the character and framing first (upper body, cowboy shot, etc.). The closer the character, the clearer the blur
Write the background location (street, flower field, etc.). With no background there is nothing to blur and the effect is hard to see
Add depth of field. If the background is still sharp, also add blurry background
For night or places with many lights, add bokeh for round light blur
Finally add only one of vignetting or film grain to give a photo-like finish

Example combinations

Mood	Combination	Notes
Portrait photo style	portrait, depth of field, blurry background	Works best with framings close to the face
Night illuminations	night, city lights, bokeh, depth of field	Bokeh appears for every light
Seen through flowers	flower field, blurry foreground, depth of field	Blur the flowers in front for depth
Film camera style	film grain, vignetting, muted colors	Softer colors give more atmosphere
Backlit evening	sunset, backlighting, lens flare	Adds glare

What if the face gets blurry or the background does not blur?

A blurry face is usually caused by blurry, and a sharp background usually means the character is too far away. Check the table.

Problem	Cause	Fix
Even the face is blurry	blurry is in the main prompt	Remove blurry and keep only depth of field and blurry background. Move blurry to the negative prompt
The background does not blur at all	The character is far away, or no background is given	Use a close framing such as upper body, write the location, and add blurry background
The corners turn pitch black	vignetting is too strong	Lower the weight (vignetting:0.7) or remove other darkening tags
Too many light streaks	lens flare stacked with light rays or sparkle	Keep only one light tag
The whole picture looks smeared	chromatic aberration is too strong	Remove it or lower the weight. A little color fringing is enough

Rinka's tips

Use blurry background to blur the back and blurry foreground to blur the front. blurry alone blurs everything, so keep it out of the main prompt
bokeh looks best where there is light: night views, sunlight through leaves, illuminations
Letterbox bars and wide cinematic frames are covered in the letterboxed guide

For cinematic letterbox bars and film-like compositions: Letterboxed (Black Bars) and Cinematic Composition Prompts →

For backlight, sunset and other lighting: Control the Light with Lighting Tags →

For framing from wide shots to close-ups: Composition Prompt Tag List (Framing, Camera Angles, Foreground Blur) →

For night backgrounds where bokeh shines: Night Background Prompts (Night City, Night View, Night Park) →

Copy-paste prompt templates

Just replace the parts in brackets. The first is a portrait with a blurred background, the second is night bokeh, and the third is a film photo style.

1girl, solo, [hairstyle], [outfit], smile, looking at viewer, portrait, outdoors, street, depth of field, blurry background, soft lighting, masterpiece, best quality

1girl, solo, [hairstyle], [outfit], looking at viewer, upper body, night, city lights, bokeh, depth of field, masterpiece, best quality

1girl, solo, [hairstyle], [outfit], looking to the side, upper body, film grain, vignetting, muted colors, masterpiece, best quality

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the prompt for depth of field?

Use depth of field. To make the background blur clearer, add blurry background. The effect is stronger with close framings such as upper body or portrait.

What does vignetting mean?

It is corner darkening: the four corners of the picture get darker, which draws the eye to the character in the center. Lower the weight if it is too strong.

What is the difference between bokeh and depth of field?

depth of field means the out-of-focus parts are blurred in general, while bokeh is the round blooming of blurred lights. Add bokeh at night or in places with many lights.

I want only the background blurred, but the face is blurry too.

Check whether blurry is in the main prompt. blurry blurs the whole image, so use blurry background when you only want the background blurred.

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