The popular Instagram-era phrase “do it for the gram,” has been taken to the next level in recent years, with Instagrammers going to extreme lengths for the perfect shot to post to their feeds.

Because mirrorless cameras, by their very nature, have no mirrors like their DSLR counterparts, their sensors can get exposed to the elements when you take off the lens. That means things like dust, debris, moisture and general nastiness can stick to the sensor and defile your photos.

Tilt-shift photography can be incredibly striking, providing a miniaturized effect to your subject that’s unforgettable. But it’s not an effect you want all the time, which is part of the reason why buying an actual tilt-shift lens might be an unnecessary investment.

One of the easiest but most expensive ways to get your portrait subject to stand out from a background is to use a fast lens, with a maximum aperture of F/1.4, F/1.2 or even wider. Those types of lenses though are pricey and sometimes don’t do the trick, especially if you’re shooting portraits with a crowded scene of people behind them.