bo·keh
/bōˈkā/
noun
Photography
noun: bokeh
- the visual quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image, mostly as rendered by a particular lens.
- “a quick, visual survey of the foreground and background bokeh of a variety of lenses.”
Creating a bokeh in a photographic image is a technique that can have a positive impact on an image.
Bokeh is also known as a shallow depth of field, selective focus, or a blurring background. This process helps define the subject, and the remainder of the image becomes a negative space.
What are the three methods of creating a bokeh?
First, the most commonly used method is choosing a wide aperture: the wider the aperture (2.8 is wider than 5.6), the greater the blur. If you are interested in achieving a creamy background, choose a lens and aperture to give you the best results. Below are examples of images that illustrate the effect.
The second method for creating a bokeh is choosing a long focal length lens. The focal length is defined in millimeters, and The longer the focal length, the narrower the angle of view, and the higher the magnification. The shorter the focal length, the wider the angle of view, and the lower the magnification. For example, if you have a 70-300mm lens, the longer focal length of 300mm will provide a more noticeable bokeh than a focal length of 70mm. Below are examples of a 200mm focal length, a 400mm focal length, and a 600mm focal length.
The third method is the proximity to the subject. The closer the camera is to the subject, the blurrier the background will be. This procedure can present a focus issue, so make sure you use your single AF points.
