DSLR '12 · free · on your device
Blur the background, keep you sharp
DSLR '12 turns a phone photo into a big-camera portrait: you stay crisp, the background gets a real lens blur with round bokeh, and a DSLR color grade goes over the top. Pick an 85, 50 or 35 mm lens. It's free and runs on your device.
Coming in the next update
Updated 16 October 2026
DSLR '12 is a free portrait-mode effect for photos you've already taken. It's the newest of Aybuke's retro effects: the look of the big cameras everyone carried around in the early 2010s, made on your device with no upload.
How to blur a background
Open your photo
Pick a photo in the editor. A person, a pet or a thing in front of a busy background works best.
Tap Effects › DSLR '12
Aybuke finds the subject on your device and blurs everything behind it.
Pick a lens
85 mm gives the creamiest blur, 50 mm a little less, 35 mm keeps more of the scene.
Apply and save
Tap Apply, then save or keep editing. The full-size photo looks just like the preview.
What DSLR '12 does
- Finds the subject: people, pets and things, with hair-fine edges, all on your device.
- A real lens blur: the background is blurred like a lens would, a little less right around the subject, with round bokeh from small lights.
- A DSLR grade: a gentle contrast curve, warm highlights, cool shadows, fine grain and a soft vignette, kept small in the mid-tones so skin keeps its own color and texture.
- No subject? Then it blurs from the edges, keeping the middle sharp.
DSLR '12 or DSLR Portrait?
| DSLR '12 | DSLR Portrait | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A free effect, made on your device | A one-tap look made with AI |
| What changes | Only the background's blur and the color grade; every pixel of you stays | The whole photo is re-rendered with the light and blur of an 85mm f/1.4 lens |
| Cost | Free, no credits | 1 AI credit, on the free plan |
| Keeps | Your photo exactly as it is | Your pose, outfit, face and skin texture |
Cleaner cut outs too
The same subject finder powers Cut out, now with hair-fine, halo-free edges and an Edge slider that goes from crisp to softly feathered, and Erase's new “Pick a person”: tap someone to add their outline to what you erase. Coming in the next update
FAQ
Background blur, answered
Can I use DSLR '12 now?
Not yet: DSLR '12 and the DSLR Portrait look come with the next update of Aybuke. This page describes how they work in that version.
Is the background blur free?
Yes. DSLR '12 is a free effect on every plan: no credits and no watermark. Only the DSLR Portrait look uses an AI credit.
Does it work on pets?
Yes. DSLR '12 finds people, pets and things, and keeps whatever it finds sharp.
Can I use it in Shortcuts?
Yes. The Apply a Retro Effect shortcut can apply DSLR '12 on your device, so it even works in automations.
Does it work on videos or in Retro Cam?
No, DSLR '12 is for photos. In Retro Cam, try Glow Cam's live looks instead.
Does it blur or smooth my face?
No. You stay sharp, and the grade keeps your skin's own color and texture.
Get ready to glow
Aybuke is made for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Want early access? Email us and we'll get back to you.
Email for early access