BOKEH
Objective: Students will understand what Bokeh is and how to create good Bokeh in their photographs.
WHAT IS "BOKEH"?
The word "bokeh" comes from the Japanese word for "blur."
Bokeh is the quality of out-of-focus or "blurry" parts of the imagine rendered by a camera lens- it is NOT the blur itself or the amount of blur in the foreground or the background of a subject.
The blur that you are so used to seeing in photograph that separates a subject from the background is the result of shallow "depth of field" and is generally simply called "background blur."
The quality and feel of the background/foreground blur and reflected points of light, however, is what photographers call Bokeh.
The word "bokeh" comes from the Japanese word for "blur."
Bokeh is the quality of out-of-focus or "blurry" parts of the imagine rendered by a camera lens- it is NOT the blur itself or the amount of blur in the foreground or the background of a subject.
The blur that you are so used to seeing in photograph that separates a subject from the background is the result of shallow "depth of field" and is generally simply called "background blur."
The quality and feel of the background/foreground blur and reflected points of light, however, is what photographers call Bokeh.
EXAMPLES of BOKEH...
Your Assignment
Shoot a series of photographs with good "bokeh" using lights (Christmas lights or similar lights are preferred). Try shooting just the lights, as well as incorporating a clear subject in the foreground.
Shooting Instructions:
Shooting Instructions:
- Take a photograph of lights. You want the lights to be blurred out to create nice, soft, bokeh shapes- so we need to create a SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD...
- Use the lowest f-stop possible
- Use a longer focal length (zoom-in)
- Place your camera far away from the lights
Ideas for What to Shoot...
1. Just Bokeh
2. Clear Subject in Foreground, Bokeh in Background