Cross posted from "The Bokeh club"

Some thoughts on bokeh... what I do on a hot day when I really don't want to move much... think about things more, do things less....

For those of you who ever wondered... "when he took that shot, what was he thinking?"....

Find different backgrounds, like in the studio not using the same back drop all the time. What you have behind your subject determines what the bokeh looks like. Plan for your bokeh the same way you plan your subject, find the angle that gives you the best use of both...









Align your camera's focal plane, horizontal to the plane you wish to capture on your subject....



Don't aways use a focal plane that is straight on to the petals of a flower. ON this one, I used the focal plane defined by the flower's stem


Then if you have a bunch of flowers..


Try and find a group that can be captured all in the same focal plane...


Find things that would usually be your subject, and use them for your bokeh, it makes the bokeh more interesting even if people other than yourself don't know what's there, it ads mystery.

Tripper the dog...


Tripper the dog bokeh...


Don't be afraid to underexpose to create more contrast,
Normal exposusre


Under exposed..


Include the same strong elements you'd use in a normal composition, lines curves , strong horizontals, strong verticals , curves and waves... use them in your bokeh the same as you'd do in a wide DoF photo...





Old decaying stuff is just as interesting as vegetation at it's peak... it's just as beautiful, it's just a different kind of beauty.





OK, enough thinking for one day.

[waterfall]

Very thoughtful and erudite exegesis of principles of bokeh. I enjoyed it, Norm.

[normhead]

Very thoughtful and erudite exegesis of principles of bokeh. I enjoyed it, Norm.

You're using too many big words for me... but thanks you very much, I think.

[Michael Piziak]

bokehlicious !

[MSL]

Great tutorial about something I don't think about enough when composing a shot, since I get so focused on what is going to be in focus.

[Bob Harris]

thanks Norm for the great tutorial and photos, even at my age I learned something today. thank you.

[normhead]

bokehlicious !

thanks for commenting..

Great tutorial about something I don't think about enough when composing a shot, since I get so focused on what is going to be in focus.

Take each concept and practice a bit.... it quickly becomes second nature.

thanks Norm for the great tutorial and photos, even at my age I learned something today. thank you.

Your assignment (should you choose to accept it) would be to take some pictures...... but then, that's always the assignment around here, so nothing has changed.

The trouble with my age, is I forget things I used to know, and sometimes have to relearn them, now that's irritating.

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Last edited by normhead; 07-04-2014 at 05:22 AM.