What is `bokeh`?

Jo said:
Those out of focus background highlights appear as discs of light/colour for it to be called 'Bokeh' though. That's how I understand it anyway.
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I don't believe so. I believe that is just an example and something that a lot of people use to show off bokeh. Bokeh is just the general soft rendition of the out of focus areas. A fair few lens bokeh tests will show something being shot with a busy background to demonstrate how it smooths the background out, not just lights but anything.
 
I actually think it's a lovely juicy word. It's also the kind of word you could use to replace a certain expletive when you get really annoyed with something. Like for example, in the process of attaching that expensive nifty fifty lens to the camera body you somehow drop it and as it bounces off the concrete floor, you shout out "Oh bo . . . . bokeh!!!".
 
Jo said:
Those out of focus background highlights appear as discs of light/colour for it to be called 'Bokeh' though. That's how I understand it anyway.
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No, its all Bokeh Jo. Bokeh is a word that covers the look or feel of an out of focus blurred area. The reason its used is because it derived from a Japanese word meaning 'out of focus dizziness' .... the dizzy side referring to its cause, which is... (complicated, I'll try) ...is down to tiny points of light at the focal plane missing the actual focal limits and being rendered as discs of light instead. (circles of confusion)

So mainly you don't want sharp discs of light, cos they ruin shots mostly don't they. ... although as you have clearly demonstrated with your excellent shot it can be used to create something wonderful. ... But, what you mostly want is the discs themselves out of focus too and in so doing, the discs will totally obliterate the background or whatever, causing nice silky smooth Bokeh.
 
All now becomes clear.

Cheers
 
Mainly we don't want pentagons, hexagons or weird cookie cutter shapes due to the iris. Nine rounded blades = good!
 
I think that's one of the main differences between nikons 85 1.4 and 1.8 bokeh.
Both 9 blade but the 1.4 has curved blades up to f5.6, it seems to smooth things out, kinda creamy.
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
No, its all Bokeh Jo. Bokeh is a word that covers the look or feel of an out of focus blurred area. The reason its used is because it derived from a Japanese word meaning 'out of focus dizziness' .... the dizzy side referring to its cause, which is... (complicated, I'll try) ...is down to tiny points of light at the focal plane missing the actual focal limits and being rendered as discs of light instead. (circles of confusion)

So mainly you don't want sharp discs of light, cos they ruin shots mostly don't they. ... although as you have clearly demonstrated with your excellent shot it can be used to create something wonderful. ... But, what you mostly want is the discs themselves out of focus too and in so doing, the discs will totally obliterate the background or whatever, causing nice silky smooth Bokeh.
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Thanks for that ;) So am I now right in thinking that Bokeh, is in fact any background in an image that is OOF? If that's the case I think the discs of Bokeh should have their own special name :lol:
 
Naboo32 said:
Sometimes I wonder what a forum like this is for, if people with geniune questions about photography are just re-directed back to where they (probably) came from in the first place :thinking:!?

.... But then, I see posts like the ones immediatley above this one and realise that, actually, the whole point of this forum is that there's a lot of expertise gathered here and the more patient and considerate amongst the members, can offer a comprehensive set of explanations, examples and background information (no "bokeh" pun intended :D) to the likes of me, the OP and anyone else who happens to be browsing these forums for the first time. Hurrah! :clap:

Thanks folks!

[/THINLY_DISGUISED_RANT] ;)
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I partly agree with the rant; in the fact that we don't want to turn people away from the site and on this occasion the OP did say that they had done a search on the forum for the answer and couldn't find it. That at least shows they invested some effort into finding the answer. However, it does annoy me in the other instances when people wish members to invest the time and effort into giving them the answers on a plate without investing any sort of time into it themselves. For example, on a good day you may only find 2-3 queries about 'best cheap lighting setup' in the lighting forum, when clearly there are already millions of complete and useful threads there already. Don't even get me started on the people that post "Tell me how to take a great picture......" or "Unboxed my camera, now what?"

From a personal point of view I generally don't answer questions like the ones above, but will go out of my way to help people that don't mind doing their part in the learning process.

Fancy a crimp-off? ;)

</MY MINI RANT OVER>
 
I love a good excuse to repost images :D

3098305456_5da3265b1f_o.jpg


I am a huge fan of bokeh! :)

Gary.
 
Here we go then, round circles of out of focus light and absolutely no irritating foreground subject matter to distract.
bokeh.jpg

Maybe next time I'll wipe the rain off the windscreen though.
 
kalibre said:
I partly agree with the rant; in the fact that we don't want to turn people away from the site and on this occasion the OP did say that they had done a search on the forum for the answer and couldn't find it. That at least shows they invested some effort into finding the answer. However, it does annoy me in the other instances when people wish members to invest the time and effort into giving them the answers on a plate without investing any sort of time into it themselves. For example, on a good day you may only find 2-3 queries about 'best cheap lighting setup' in the lighting forum, when clearly there are already millions of complete and useful threads there already. Don't even get me started on the people that post "Tell me how to take a great picture......" or "Unboxed my camera, now what?"

From a personal point of view I generally don't answer questions like the ones above, but will go out of my way to help people that don't mind doing their part in the learning process.

Fancy a crimp-off? ;)

</MY MINI RANT OVER>
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"Snappin' away with m'little light box :) (clickity-clackity Jean Claude Jacquity),
Open up the aperture, not sure what it's really for :shrug:.
Zing! I did a flashy one, can't see what is goin' on :eek:.
ISO, you so, Tokyo's a no go! Floor show, pogo Nikon and Manfrotto.
No tripod, my God! Who on earth's that blurry sod :thinking:!?
(Pickety-pockety, pick a pic, pic'n'mix, pick up sticks, stick up pics).
Oops, I did a twisty"! :exit:


That Sir, is a wrap! ;)

(P.S. Apologies to all of you who've never seen the comedy show, "The Mighty Boosh", as this post well either be a complete mystery, an annoying "in joke", or more probably ... BOTH!!!) :nuts:
 
Naboo32 said:

"Snappin' away with m'little light box :) (clickity-clackity Jean Claude Jacquity),
Open up the aperture, not sure what it's really for :shrug:.
Zing! I did a flashy one, can't see what is goin' on :eek:.
ISO, you so, Tokyo's a no go! Floor show, pogo Nikon and Manfrotto.
No tripod, my God! Who on earth's that blurry sod :thinking:!?
(Pickety-pockety, pick a pic, pic'n'mix, pick up sticks, stick up pics).
Oops, I did a twisty"! :exit:


That Sir, is a wrap! ;)

(P.S. Apologies to all of you who've never seen the comedy show, "The Mighty Boosh", as this post well either be a complete mystery, an annoying "in joke", or more probably ... BOTH!!!) :nuts:
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"Study Of Light", why such a fight?Lost in the circles of confussiioooooon...
(ISO, ISO, noisy little so-on-so)
Feelin' exposed, that's the learnin' curve I s'pose
(Ooh, AF beep, AF beep, MF... no-beep)
Sneaky, sneaky. Quiet as a mouse. (Layin' down frames like Andy Rouse)
Shutter snap, shutter snap (Rollin' in the cash)
Now get ready for my rear-sync flash!!

Cue, my perfect dismount...... ;)
 
kalibre said:
"Study Of Light", why such a fight?Lost in the circles of confussiioooooon...
(ISO, ISO, noisy little so-on-so)
Feelin' exposed, that's the learnin' curve I s'pose
(Ooh, AF beep, AF beep, MF... no-beep)
Sneaky, sneaky. Quiet as a mouse. (Layin' down frames like Andy Rouse)
Shutter snap, shutter snap (Rollin' in the cash)
Now get ready for my rear-sync flash!!

Cue, my perfect dismount...... ;)
Click to expand...

:( Frick! Out-crimped :coat:

EdinburghGary said:
Where can I buy these drugs? :D

Gary.
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From the Nabootique, of course ;).

Grockle said:
Use the search button, you lazy git :D
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:D:D

[/THREAD_HIJACK]
 
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