Bokeh Photo Technique

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Description
For a unique Valentine’s Day picture, try Bokeh photography. Bokeh means “blur” in Japanese. In terms of photography, it is used to refer to parts of a picture that are not in focus. When there are glowing lights in the shot, they appear as small points of light. Bokeh photos make great artwork, such as a framed enlargement or canvas print.
Time to Complete:
00:30
(hh:mm)
Skill Level:
hard
What you'll need:
  • Digital camera that allows for manual settings
  • Light Source
  • Black Paper
How to Make It
  • Set the f-stop as low as possible and the shutter speed to 1/50.
  • Cut a small heart in the black paper
  • Hold paper over camera lens
  • Position object you are photographing between the camera and the light source
  • Stand aproximately five feet away from the subject
  • Focus on the subject and take the picture
    Valentine_Bokeh3_300 Valentine_Bokeh2_300

    Tips:
    Experiment with various distances and ISO settings.
    Fashion the paper cutout into a lens hood instead of holding it over the lens.