What is Bokeh?
Bokeh (pronounced BOH-kay) is a Japanese word meaning blur or haze. I like to think of it as that buttery blur in the foreground or background of an image. It makes photographs look amazing. Simply put, bokeh is the pleasing quality of the out of focus blur in a photograph. There are numerous Flickr groups dedicated to bokeh and I know I absolutely love it. It is the main reason I prefer shooting with fast lenses at the widest aperture for the most impressive blur in my photographs.
How to Achieve Bokeh in Your Images
To get started creating bokeh in your images, you will need a fast lens with a minimum aperture of f/2.8. Ideally, f/2.0, f/1.2 or f/1.4 is what you want for super smooth bokeh. Believe me, the aperture makes a huge difference in the blur your pictures have. Shoot with your lens wide open and on Aperture Priority or Manual mode. Now, if you do not have a fast lens, don’t worry about it. By increasing the distance between your subject and the background, you can achieve bokeh in your pictures with a slower lens.
Practice Makes for Great Images
If you want to practice creating bokeh in your images, shoot portraits or macro images of flowers. Both offer an opportunity to create that soft, dreamy feeling you get from shooting with a shallow depth of field. Another thing you can practice with are Christmas lights. When the lights are shot out of focus, they leave you with a soft glow that is very flattering as a background. This is one of my favorite ways to play with lighting effects and photographic blur. You can’t go wrong with a little blur in your images. Give it a try and be sure to share your images.
