Photocircle Digest: "Bokeh"

photocircle (72)in #blog • 5 years ago (edited)

One of the very specific & interesting features of photography is something that we call "Bokeh". It's an effect that people are liking so much, photographers and hobbyist alike, it was even added to the latest version of iPhone and it's unbelievably real since there are technicalities behind this effect.

Before we dig deeper into this topic, what exactly is a Bokeh effect?

It's a Japanese word and in basic definition, bokeh actually means "blur" or "out of focus" in photography. At some point, the bokeh effect is observable in most of the image in a minuscule visibility or extremely obvious for some intended photos.

One of the good reasons of using the bokeh effect is when the main subject has to be exemplified against its background. Basically, it will simplify the approach in creating the image. It will also indirectly minimize the clutter of the scene for a cleaner outcome of the photo.

When creating this effect, one of the consideration that will serve as a guide is to look for a suitable background for a subject - a background that is still perceptible even when subjected to a blurring effect.

When it comes to the gears required to have a visible bokeh effect, you will be needing a lens with an f/2.8 aperture as the least requirement. However, if you want to achieve a maximum amount bokeh effect, a much faster lens is required which could range from f/2 to f/1.4 as the ideal type.

When selecting the best subjects or elements for this type of effect, it is recommencement to look for a scene that have a substantial amount of contrast on it - city lights can provide an ideal size and contrast as shown into the thumbnail shot of this post.

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For some people that doesn't live next to a busy city, you can also have small artificial lights (Christmas lights) as your subject for bokeh effect.

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If you are living in a rural area and there are a bunch of tress next to you, you may position yourself in such a way that the tress are set in middle between you and a strong light source (like a sun). This setup will create tiny pockets of light through the trees and will produce a substantial amount of bokeh effects as well.