I have been playing around with Bokeh. A lot has been written about the background blur, but I wanted to have both background and foreground elements in varying degrees of focus / out of focus, with the main subject rendered sharp in a field of blur.

I know, I know... the damn fence at the bottom right is a distraction. I was using a camera with less than a 100% finder so I could take advantage of the higher shutter speed so I could use a wide aperture.

Click

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), January 11, 2002

Answers

It's not the fence that bothers me; it's the geometrical background highlights. The lens aperture geometry from the highlights is too distinct and in not considered "good bokeh." A lens that produces good bokeh will show a much smoother, more rounded, subtle, and delicate background highlight.

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), January 11, 2002.

The geometric shapes do stand out, but I do gotta tell ya that she sure is a pretty subject, which makes this photograph stand out in my opinion. Good work.

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@alaska.net), January 12, 2002.

bokeh is the least of your problems i think....

-- grant (g4lamos@yahoo.com), January 13, 2002.

um, the geometrical patterns are very distracting (hence they are bad bokeh). also, there seems to be a lack of synergy between your content and your technique. it is jarring. niether the setting nor the sitter are complimented here.

excuses don't help. cropping does. if the fence bothers you, why not just crop it out?

this image could be much better.

-m

-- michael (mnm207@stern.nyu.edu), January 25, 2002.