Bokeh brings to mind out of focus point source lights in Christmas pictures where the effect is rounded well defined highlights in the background. However Bokeh is more than that. It really is the out-of-focus areas in an image. There are several ways to control Bokeh. The main method is Aperture control. The wider the aperture is open the shallower the depth of field, giving more Bokeh in the foreground and background. The second method is to reduce the distance between your camera and the subject. This will reduce the depth of field as well. The third method is by using longer lenses, which have inherent shallower depth of field than wide angle lenses.
The object of this challenge is to think about Bokeh when you take your image by putting your camera preferably in Manual mode and use Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO to experiment. Alternatively use Aperture mode and let the camera decide the other two variables.
Here is a video with a good explanation and some examples.
Bokeh can also be manipulated in post processing. Especially the smartphone apps are very good at this. Here is a tutorial showing how it is done in Lightroom.
For those of you who might be interested in artistic Bokeh, there is an interesting tool that fits over top of a lens with a number of movable prisms and filters. Here is a tutorial that shows the effects for portrait photography. Here is a tutorial that shows the same for macro photography.
Here is an example of foreground and background bokeh control. I used my 100 mm Macro lens at about a meter distance from the subject. This lens has a natural shallow depth of field, so the dark brown fence is reasonably out-of-focus while the leaves are tack sharp. By holding a plastic sheet very close to the lens I got this rainbow bokeh effect. f/2.8, 1/8000 sec, ISO 1000.
Foreground and Background Bokeh control example. 100 mm Macro Lens at close range 0.5 m f/2.8, 1/1250 sec, ISO 500.
Out in Carburn Park today before the weather changes, trying to take a portrait of my daughter’s dog.
1/1600 sec @ f 5.0, ISo 1000
RF 35mm, f1.4 lens on Canon R5
Edited in Lightroom.
Lovely portrait Paul. I really like the surrounding bokeh. What distance did you take the image from, any cropping? The face is sharp from nose to the back of the ears. Any post processing?
Thanks Henri.
Here are my settings. This is a crop from a larger photo but with the 35mm lens you have to get close. My edits are shown on the right. Dog treats were the motivator to keep her interested.
Playing with a thanksgiving bouquet. The rose against a fan-shaped leaf backdrop was particularly effective. I used a tripod and manual focusing to get 4 images focus stacked in photoshop. Sampled dark green from the image then used a 30% paintbrush to dull some bright spots in the bottom righthand corner.
These were taken with my phone, first a carraganna husk and then a larch
larch
This was taken a few weeks before the current challenge, but as it happens I was already experimenting with bokeh. There were many of these butterflies that day at Elliston ponds. The Bokeh effect is from using the long end of my Sony RX10 iv lens (600mm equivalent) giving me a shallow depth of field. f/5, 1/1250 sec, ISO 100. Cropped and edited in Lightroom Classic to bring out the colours more and sharpen the image.
While visiting family in Ottawa where there is a wider variety of autumn colours, I was asked to take a photograph of my grand-daughter’s bouquet of leaves. I asked her to hold them over the fallen golden and rust coloured leaves on the ground, This is her bouquet with a soft bokeh behind it. I used AI removal to take her arm out of the picture. I used an aperture of 2.8 which took away any details amongst the fallen leaves. ISO as a result was low at 250 and I used 1/400 and advised my little granddaughter to hold the leaves still…which she did.
Love this image, so colorful and delightful!
Thank you Debbie. I had a great assistant.
I love playing with Bokeh. I wanted to have the snap dragons stand out against the false sunflower perennial that was growing behind the red flowers. Both of these images were done in Manual, 5/6, 1/2000, auto ISO with my 70-300 lens. The ISO on the first image was 4000.
The second image was ISO 6400. I also turned at more of an angle and lowered the camera closer to the ground, so the Bokeh was softer due to the increased depth of field. I wanted a softer background to make the snap dragon pop.
Squirrel looking to raid the bird feeder. ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/400
Second squirrel shot. ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/400
Somehow lost the settings of the camera but was taken with my telephoto (aperture is probably 5.4) and close to the subject.
The bokeh on this one was done with gimp. Original photo taken with cell phone
Taken with my iphone on portrait setting.
Taken with my iphone.
Diana indicated we wer in Ottawa last week. We saw some great colour in the remaining leaves/
They provided a backdrop for Henry — our son’s 11.5 yer old and ageing golden retriever.
Fuji XT-5 hand held: ISO 200. F 2.8/ SS@1/250 sec.
And an image of a leaf in. it’s final stages of colour
Fuji XT-5 hand held”. ISO 400/ F 2.8/ SS@1/1000sec
Gas flare near Inglewood Bird Sanctuary – I like the sharp silhouetted leaves against the soft flame. ISO 180, 560mm, f/11, 1/1250 sec.
I am very fond of gas flares, nice shot!
Grapes on the vine, Vancouver Island. ISO 1000, 46mm, f/4.0, 1/1000 sec.
Mandeville in my garden
f4.8 1/1000 iso100
Mandeville in my garden this morning
f4.8 1/1000 iso100
Mandeville in my garden
f4.8 1/1000 iso450