Bokeh in Portraits

 

Bokeh, the beautiful discs of color and light in the background

of a photo really adds SPARKLE to a portrait.

 

To learn how to create bokeh using your aperture

CLICK HERE.

 

When shooting portraits, I often use a wide aperture

between f/1.4 and f/3.2 to create lovely bokeh.

 

 

The depth of field (How deep the range of focus in front and back of my focus point.),

is so narrow in the photo above, even her shirt is blurred.

 

In other words, the depth-of-field was so narrow...her shirt

which is within inches of the same plane as her face is not in focus.

 

I shot this next photo with my aperture wide open at f/1.4 on my 50mm lens.

 

 

This creates a pretty, dreamy look. 

The sliver of focus with an f/1.4 aperture works

because the subject's face is straight at the camera...

thus the facial features are on the same plane of focus.

 

I also shot at f/1.4 in this next photo, but the subject's face is at

a slight angle.  This meant the eye on the left is a bit further from the

focus point and with the very narrow depth-of-field, that eye is slightly

out of focus.

 

 

So, if you're shooting at such a wide aperture, make sure your

subject's face is straight at the camera or you will get facial blur.

 

Or, close down the aperture a bit to f/2.8 or f/3.5 to get a deeper depth

of field and thus a focused face when it's at an angle.

 

 

When taking portraits, look for light sources in the background.

That's why I love to backlight!

 

 

In this next case, the light source is the water with

lots of glittery light reflections.

 

 

Distance from the camera to the subject also determines depth of field.

The further away the subject, the more depth of field and thus less bokeh.

 

If you are shooting wide and not seeing much bokeh,

move your subject further away from the background.

 

 

 

 

 

Even winter, with no leaves on the tree, can be a wonderful time

for bokeh.  Just make sure there is light in the background!

 

 

The glints of light off snow also creates bokeh!

 

 

Create some DAZZLE in your portraits by capturing BOKEH!

Creating Bokeh

 

Last week, I stopped at my favorite Farmer's Market store to

pick up some summer sweet corn.

 

While there, I noticed this red tandem bicycle parked under

a tree laden with apples. 

 

Fortunately, I had my camera with me because I couldn't

resist photographing the lovely scene.

 

While photographing the pretty apples, I thought this would

be a good way to explain how to create bokeh...beautiful discs of lighted blur

in the background of your photos.

 

 

Bokeh (pronounced BO-kah) adds drama and beauty to

photos and is easy to achieve if you pay attention while you are shooting.

 

 

Rather than explain all the math and numbers

involved with creating bokeh...I will keep this on

the simple side.

 

Bokeh is created when the camera captures and blurs light twinkling

around something in the background.

 

SOOOO....this means, you will want to make sure you have

this light in your background.  Trees or other greenery that allow

glints of light to shine through are perfect backdrops for creating bokeh.

 

I took this photo of a bowl of nectarines in my backyard 

while standing and shooting from my normal height.

  I did not capture any light glints shining through that thick tree line in the background.

 

You can see there is no bokeh in the background making

the photo rather boring and flat.

 

 

By just squatting down so I can capture sunlight shining

through the upper tree branches, I create bokeh and beauty in the photo.

 

In other words, you must have light shining through or around something

to get the bokeh!

 

 

I used a 50mm 1.4 lens for all of the photos in this blog post.

You can use any camera to create bokeh, but if you

are using a point-and-shoot or your phone camera,

you will need to place your subject a distance from your

background to get the bokeh.

 

If you are using a DSLR camera, I suggest you learn how to use

your focus points.  This is different with every camera, so sit with your

camera manual and learn how to use focus points.

 

Practice using the focus points and you will get

great focus results in almost every photo you take forever more!

 

Let's get back to that apple orchard.

 

I shot in Aperture Priority mode because I wanted to control the aperture.

You can also shoot in manual.

 

Notice that I have about six feet between the apples I

am photographing and the background that I want to blur into bokeh.

 

 

 

Now you are going to control your aperture to get the blur.

Aperture controls depth-of-field meaning how much in front and

in back of your subject is in focus.

 

A smaller aperture (Larger number!) means a greater depth-of-field

or more in focus.

 

Here, I had my aperture shut down to a tiny f/22 and you can see that

even though the background apples are six feet away...they are still

pretty much in focus.

 

As explained, the smaller aperture created a deep depth-of-field.

 

Next, I opened up the aperture to f/11 and the background apples

are starting to blur.

 

At f/8, you can begin to see the bokeh!

 

Here's f/5 and the bokeh is bigger and more defined.

 

With the aperture much wider at f/3.2, I get a  much shallower depth-of-field

thus, more blur.  You can't even tell those are apples in the background.

But the discs of color and light...bokeh....add beauty and sparkle!

 

With the aperture all the way open at f/1.4 on my lens,

the depth of field is so narrow, even the apples I am shooting

are not totally in focus.

 

 

So which of these photos is correct?

 

ALL of them!  It's always up to YOU as the photographer how much

bokeh you prefer.  YOU get to create what YOU like!

 

Experiment and practice with various objects and light situations

and you will be creating bokeh like a pro!

Summer Still-Lifes

This summer I have gotten into still-life photography and

absolutely LOVE shooting them outside in the early morning sunshine.

 

I wanted to share mine, to inspire you to look around your own house

for pretty, colorful items and treasures that will make a pretty photo.

 

Still-lifes are a great way to learn and grow as a photographer

and use your imagination and creativity.

 

Start with just a few simple things on a table.

 

For tips on shooting still-lifes and capturing the

light, CLICK HERE.

 

Still-lifes can be anything that stays still.

Maybe some interesting tools you have on a work bench.

various spoons you have in the kitchen drawer.

 

When I was planting my summer herbs, I created a still-life

arrangement with the gardening tools and plants.

 

Pretty things around your house can be used. 

It's fun and simple to match colors.

 

Try using the artistic filters in Photoshop to

make your still-lifes look more like paintings

Watch my VIDEO TUTORIAL to learn how to do this. 

 

I became very observant this summer and considered

things I never really noticed as possible still-lifes!

 

One morning I looked out the window and saw the sun sparkling

off the morning dew, so I plopped a pitcher of flowers onto the grass

and shot VERY low...lying on my stomach in the WET grass!

 

I came up with this next idea when I saw my pretty glass pitcher in a cupboard.

I got it as a wedding gift and rarely use it. 

I like the shape, so I put water into the pitcher and added food coloring!

 

This photo was used by The Farmer's Almanac in an

article about pink lemonade!

 

My kids went blueberry picking and I really loved the color

so I photographed them.

 

 

 

This began my obsession with photographing food!

We had these grapes in our fruit bowl, so I used them in a still life.

 

 

I actually went to the grocery store and selected the

most colorful and interesting vegetables and

went crazy photographing them inside and outside.

 

I got to eat some yummy salads..and YEP...

I photographed them!

 

 

If we had strawberries in the fridge...I photographed them

on the kitchen table.

 

Lemons anyone?

 

My daughter was home for the weekend and I made her breakfast.

Yep....I photographed it and now this photo is on the

website of an egg farmer in Germany!

 

I also photographed my poached egg breakfast one morning.

 

 

A friend brought me some cherries, so I took some photos.

 

 

I just want to open your eyes to photographing

the simple, everyday things in your life.

 

Just add a vase of flowers (fake flowers photograph beautifully!)

table linens you already have in a drawer. 

Use interesting chairs and tables you have around the house.

 

 

Let your imagination run wild and enjoy shooting

some still-life photos of your own.

 

Better yet, frame them and hang them in your home.

ART that contains your own treasures!