Bokeh comes from the Japanese word ‘boke’, which means fuzzy. In photography, bokeh defines the quality of the blurred lights presented in a photo. We’re not referring to a badly taken photo that’s all out of focus, but rather the aesthetically pleasing background blur. Usually, this type of blur highlights the focused subject even more.
Producing nice bokeh involves creating a shallow depth of field.
Here are some tips to get you started with bokeh photography:
1.) Larger aperture works best, so use a low f-stop number like f1.4, f1.8 or f2.8. I like using the Canon 50mm f1.8 or the 35mm f1.4 for this project.
2.) Set your camera to aperture priority.
3.) You would need to set the shutter speed faster than 1/50 second. Any slower and I find the background lights getting blurred together, instead of rendering small circles. If it’s too dark, increase the ISO level rather than the f-stop number.
4.) The closer you get to subject, the better. If you’re using a zoom lens, extend it to the longest focal length.
5.) The further away the background, the better.
6.) Ensure that the background is lit. Glowing lights like street lamps and traffic lights work best. While a consistently lit background would just create a regular blur.
7.) If you don’t have a subject and want to create the bokeh effect with the night lights, manually focus your camera.
Get inspired by the photos below and show us your best bokeh shots!
Yuki-chan and the Bokeh by josh.liba
The one with the red thread by dsevilla
Kulio’ou’ou by da_godfaddah
I wish I was special by irene gr
Have a Very Bokeh Christmas by Brandon Christopher Warren
Aeia Loop by da_godfaddah
Another Journey By Train by Steve Leggat
