4. Relating the Foreground with the
background
Often, the most captivating photographs are those which do something that the viewer did not anticipate. Relating the sharp foreground subject of an image with something in the blurry portion of the image can create a truly creative image. You’ve probably seen this effect in wedding photography when a bride is close to the camera and in sharp focus, with the groom blurry in the background. This technique is even stronger when the foreground not only relates to the background, but when it interacts with it.
2. Choosing the Proper Lens
The aperture is a group of several blades which form a circle or octagon through which the light passes to the sensor. Apertures which utilize more blades or have curved blades will produce more circular-shaped light bursts in the bokeh, while apertures with more octagonal openings produce a similarly-shaped light burst. Many photographers prefer the circular bokeh to the more octagonal shapes. Generally, more expensive lenses use more blades and/or utilize curved aperture blades in an effort to produce a more circular bokeh.
3. Creating Custom Bokeh
A few years ago, it became very popular for photographers to create special cut-outs in various shapes to go on a lens. The shape of the cut-out will control the shape of the light bursts in the bokeh. This is a very creative and eye-catching effect as long as it is not overdone. To create this effect, simply punch out a small (approximately the size of a dime) shape in a black piece of paper. Then tape this paper over the front of the lens as if it were a lens cap, with the cut-out precisely in the middle of the lens. When you take a picture, the bokeh will reflect the shape of the cut-out.
Bokeh is one of the most-used photographic techniques, but one of the least focused-on. Applying these four methods to achieving better bokeh will dramatically improve your photography.
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