Digital Photography Tips: Bokeh Photography

Ever wonder how they get that artsy image where the subject is sharp while the  rest is wonderfully blurred?

That technique is called Bokeh, a Japanese word that means ‘haze’. When a photographer purposely defocuses the lens to create a soft borderless aesthetic, then he is creating Bokeh photography.

Different lenses create out-of-focus areas of an image in different ways, giving rise to subjective opinions as to what constitutes an artistically Bokeh.

Here are the tips in making creative Bokeh photography…

1. To create Bokeh photography set your camera on manual focus. Adjust the lens on wide aperture (f/1.8-5.6). The purpose is to have everything in soft focus.
2. Take a close-up photo. Bokeh works best when your near the subject with nice clear lighting.
3. Keep your lens slightly unfocused. Your background must be softly blurred but the foreground must be a little recognizable.
4. Inspect the viewfinder. Check your viewfinder for any sharp line or clear details in the background. You want the Bokeh picture background to be all blurred.
5. There is a camera accessory called Bokeh Masters Kit which allows for easy Bokeh photography creation. Checkout www.bokehmasterskit.com
6. Bokeh photography purposely is abrupt creating borderless fuzzy photos with a recognizable image. If you defocus you lens the light may create unwanted circles or lines so be aware of these. Experiment with different angles to eliminate defined images.
7. Don’t set your aperture on a high F-number because it defeats th purpose of fuzzy Bokeh aesthetic.
8. Photoshop! Yes, you can stimulate the Bokeh effect in Photoshop of course. Check this <a href=”http://inspiredology.com/how-to-create-a-simple-bokeh-effect/“>site</a> for a step by step guide.