Canon REBEL SL1 EOS 100D Instruction Manual page 68

_ Shooting Portraits
The < _t_l>(Portrait) mode blurs the background to make the human
subject stand out. It also makes skin tones and hair look softer.
The further the distance between the subject and background,
the better,
The further the distance between the subject and background, the
more blurred the background will look. The subject will also stand
out better against an uncluttered dark background.
Use a telephoto lens.
If you have a zoom lens, use the telephoto end to fill the frame with
the subject from the waist up. Move in closer if necessary.
Focus the face,
Check that the AF point covering the face flashes. For close-ups of
the face, focus on the eyes.
The default setting is <DD_> (Continuous shooting). If you hold down the
shutter button, you can shoot continuously to capture subtle changes in the
subject's pose and facial expression (max. approx. 4 shots/sec.).
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