How do professional photographers blur the background in their photos while keeping the subject in focus?

Blurred backgrounds work great for close up photography, portraits, nature, and still life and can enhance any photo that needs attention drawn to the subject rather than the entire scene. By restricting the focus in your photo to a limited area (shallow depth of field), attention is drawn to the parts you chose to focus on, and the background becomes just a wash of colour and light, adding to the mood. Photographic blur is often referred to as 'Bokeh' - a Japanese word describing the quality of the out of focus parts of an image.

Here's four photography tips to help you achieve great Bokeh. All you will need is a DSLR, compact camera, or iPhone.