“Photography is the story I fail to put into words.” – Destin Sparks
Bokeh, what is it and how can you create it with your camera? Since this is such an interesting subject and fun to do, Sofia has challenged us to feature a few of our favorites this week. Bokeh is the out-of-focus background in a photograph which is lovely to look at. It is created when background objects are softly blended together, displaying an array of beautiful colors, while the subject is in focus and sharp. Good Bokeh does not have hard edges or sharpness and sometimes there are round, smooth circles of light visible.
So, how can you created Bokeh when taking a picture? It’s easy to do by following a few simple steps.
1) Set the camera aperture to the lowest setting possible, in my case it was set at f/5.6. And, extend the lens focal point as far out as possible, to 105.0 mm in my case. (I used the Nikon 18.0 – 105.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens.) Depending on your lens, the f/ setting could be even lower, for example f/2.5. Also, the longer your focal point is the better, even 125.0 mm or more.
2) Move in as close as you can when focusing on the subject (spot metering is good) and keep some distance between the subject and background if possible. Have fun playing around with this and seeing what you can create!
As a side note, the newer Apple iPhones cameras are able to create Bokeh when using the Portrait mode and a low f stop such as f/2.2. Focus the camera only on the subject and snap your shoot!
Below is a selection of favorite pictures showing different types and colors of Bokeh.
“It’s the beauty within us that makes it possible for us to recognize the beauty around us. The question is not what you look at but what you see.” – Henry David Thoreau
Hope you enjoyed seeing a variety of different types and colors of Bokeh! Be sure to check out Sofia’s post to see even more lovely examples. Click here,
On another note, I was invited to display one of my pictures in the Photographic Society of America (PSA) Member’s Showcase. I was one of ten members from PSA’s Digital Dialogue Study Groups to be selected. This photograph of birds, Red Knots (Calidris canutus), by the Atlantic Ocean will be on exhibited until mid-April. Direct link to the Showcase is http://psadigital.org/.
Remember to stay safe and healthy and be kind to others.