Did you ever take a picture of something and then, after reviewing it, think, “Hey, this would be pretty good if the background wasn’t so blurry.” Don’t be so quick to push that erase button. Believe it or not, that type of image is something many photographers deliberately try to capture.
In my recent research on various photography techniques, I’ve discovered the world of bokeh. The term bokeh (pronounced “boke-ay” or “boke-uh”—I prefer the latter), is an adaptation of the Japanese word boke, meaning “blur” or “haze.” In photography, bokeh is the blur, or the aesthetic quality of the blur, in the out-of-focus area of an image. It can be used to help draw your eye to the subject of a photograph or can be the subject itself.
Take my friendly neighborhood weed, for example. The picture would be much less interesting if the entire field was in focus. In this case, however, is showcased just what I wanted to highlight by utilizing a fuzzy and indistinct background. A much more interesting shot of a blah wintry field, no?
Bokeh is one of those things that are easier explained than done. Much of getting just the right effect has a lot do with aperture and shutter speed, both of which seriously make my head swim. I’ve been trying to take pictures without the safety net of my camera’s auto function and frog around more with the manual settings. It’s a lot of trial and, in my case, a lot of error. Most of the time I end up getting a great shot by accident. If I could just remember how I did it, I’d be a much better photographer! But that’s the beauty of digital photography; we are only limited by our memory card’s capacity. In a beginning photography class I took last year, my instructor told us that if we want one great shot we need to take twenty! Yeah. Try telling that to your impatient traveling companion. Trust me; I’ve been there.
I hope to explore this effect in subjects more colorful than mundane Michigan landscape, and I challenge you (especially my photography-loving friends) to also experiment when taking your pictures. See if you can’t come up with a really great bokeh shot, too!
2 comments:
Hey, I learned something today and I minored in photography in college. Unfortunately, my photos usually have a focused background and the subject is in bokeh :)
some collective thoughts....
First, this is awesome. Not sure what I appreciate more - the collection of thoughts or the growing photo collage.
Second, since reading the last week's posts, I've decided, (a) you have will power I never fathomed - 5.2 pounds in a week? - you ROCK!; (b) I think your hair dresser should move in with you; then I'd move back to Michigan, too. Can you say, "Three's Company?", Chrissie?; (c) there is not such thing as a mundane Michigan landscape. And I bet if you traipse over to Grand Haven or Muskegon, there are some awesome ice-covered lighthouses just waiting to be the subject of a photo essay!
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