December Submissions

Gail Bidgood of NL sent me two submissions for the December assignment.  I’m glad she did!  It is the same subject but with different apertures so it shows the difference that f/stops can make while trying to create bokeh!

Both photos were taken at the same distance from the tree.  The first photo used an aperture of f/4.5:

Taken with Nikon D200 at f/4.5, 1/60 sec., ISO 400.

 In her second photo, Gail opened her aperture wide to f/1.8:

Taken with Nikon D200 at f/1.8, 1/60 sec., ISO 400

Note the beautiful bokeh (represented by circles of light) created in the second photo – what a beautiful backdrop for a charming Father Christmas!  Gail mentioned a good point – “The aperture makes a difference but you have to be spot on with your focus [when] using such a small aperture”

Thanks, Gail, for submitting again this month!

Now, what about the rest of our readers??  I’m sure at least a few of you received a new camera for Christmas!  Look for light sources in your backgrounds and start snapping, inside or out!

Happy clicking!

December Assignment: Bokeh

Bokeh, as we learned, is derived from a Japanese word, boke, which means “blur” or “haze”.  It basically refers to the out of focus area of your photo.

So now that we know what it is… how do we get it?  It’s quite simple, actually!

To create pleasing bokeh, ensure that your background has some light sources.  It could be Christmas lights, car headlights, or even dappled sunlight behind your subject, like this:

(Taken with Nikon D70 at F/4.2, 1/320 s., ISO 200)

Then, using a very large aperture (meaning the smallest number, like f/1.8 or f/4.5, depending on your lens), focus on something in the foreground of your composed photo.  The short depth of field, created by your large aperture, will blur the background and create bokeh!

I told you it was easy! 

Your December assignment:

Using this tutorial as a guide, create your own bokeh background.  Experiment with different light sources and backgrounds. With Christmas around the corner, I’m sure you’ll find plenty of inspiration!

Deadline:  December 31st, 2009

Please submit your photo(s), along with camera settings, using our submission form linked above, for a chance to be entered into our draw.  A randomly chosen entry will be drawn after the deadline.  Please click HERE to review the rules regarding this draw before submitting.  Please note – submissions that do not abide by these rules will NOT be posted on the blog, or entered into the drawing.

Our December prize pack is this lovely seasonal kit by Kelly Panacci:

Thanks in advance for playing along this month – I’m looking forward to seeing your submissions!  And stay tuned for more information about our contest to be posted early next week!

Happy Clicking!