sunday school: 'tis the season to make bokeh

For photographers like me, if there's one thing we drool over during the holiday season, it's the seemingly infinite sources of itty bitty points of light EVERYWHERE, from one's own home, to the neighbor's bejeweled trees, to the local mall. And itty bitty points of light mean one thing to us, do they not?  BOKEH BUBBLES.*  That's right, folks.  If the festive side of Christmas annoys you or stresses you out, look on the bright side--there are endless opportunities for blowing bokeh bubbles into your images.

If you've ever wondered how to capture the kind of magical bokeh characterized by dreamy floating balls of colored light, this is the perfect time to experiment and learn by trial-and-error.  Just keep in mind these few basics, and you'll be an expert bokeh bubble blower in no time!

• Shaped bokeh is created by the blurring of highlights, such as small points of light or reflections of light.  This is why sunlight poking through summer tree leaves makes for pretty bokeh.
• The shape of the bokeh is determined by the shape of your lens's aperture.  If you like your bokeh nice and round, try shooting wide open with a fast prime lens like the popular 50mm f/1.8.  If you want to get a hexagon shaped bokeh, try a narrower aperture such as f/4.5.
• The key is to position your lens with your subjects in the foreground with the points of light (such as Christmas tree lights) in the background so that when you focus on your main subjects, the lights behind them will blur into magical bubbles of bokeh.
• You can experiment with the size of your bokeh by changing the depth of field or focal length of your lens or by modifying the distance between your lens and the subjects and the distance between the subjects and the points of light behind them. 

I've seen some great bokeh bubbles that make use of the abundant little lights of the holiday season.  If you have images of such bokeh that you'd like to share, we'd love to see them.  And if you have any tips on capturing the magic of bokeh, please do share those as well!

*By bokeh bubbles, I am referring to the shaped bokeh of blurred highlights, as opposed to creamy bokeh, which is just smooth blur.

Comments

[Petchy]

Some "bubbly bokeh" I got yesterday:

http://petchy.smugmug.com/Other/December-2009/10558581_thCd8#744696613_HjmaP-A-LB
http://petchy.smugmug.com/Other/December-2009/10558581_thCd8#744695999_2gxmW-L-LB
http://petchy.smugmug.com/Other/December-2009/10558581_thCd8#744696315_pmBaR-L-LB

All from Kristiansund (Norway)

[Si]

I bet those toes would love to be warming against a nice fire. I love the photograph and effect.

Happy Christmas and I hope you have a wonderful 2010.

Si

[Marcie]

Some creamy dreamy winter bubble bokeh:

http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=714

And some more bubble that was captured in the spring:

http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=806
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=403

[Petchy]

Can't resist sharing another - twinkly lights in hedges makes for a dreamy christmassy atmosphere:

http://petchy.smugmug.com/Other/December-2009/10558581_thCd8#739831748_5yV73-L-LB

[Sarah Jane]

I'm new to shutter sisters and to the dslr I got from santa yesterday. I very much look forward to learning from you all!
Merry Christmas- off to try bokeh!

[Kathleen]

(sing it with me) *Oh, Christmas tree,
Oh, Christmas tree,
You offer lovely bokeh...*

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ko2008/4191031794/

[rachel]

christmas tree bokeh here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/partonponderings/4200362476/

merry christmas!

[Ashley]

Lovely pictures so far. I just got my camera a few months ago and I've made a little bokeh here and there. :)

Christmas tree bokeh:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashleysbusy/4176498653/

Fall bokeh:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashleysbusy/4176517211/

[Teri]

Here is one of mine. Bokeh makes me happy!
http://teriargo.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/344365/

[strawberrygoldie]

When you use a point-and-shoot like I do, the macro setting is your best friend. Perfect bokeh.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/strawberrygoldie/4198823284/

[Heather]

Let the fun begin! I'm so jazzed to be playing with my camera during the holiday season this year. A few of my bokeh experiments are in today's post:

http://mamamutterings.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-bokeh.html

Hoping to capture quite a bit more of the delightful "bubbles!"

[Kate Baumert]

http://happyinthehamptons.blogspot.com/2009/12/i-love-red-glow-that-surrounds-my-heart.html

Love me some holiday Bokeh! :)

[cindy]

these are all wonderful. here's mine through a lace curtain
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71443419@N00/4170216046/

[Lisa]

i love that photo! i am loving all the lights this season...

i've been playing around with bokeh this season, and while the last photo on my post may not be TRUE bokeh (because there's nothing in focus?), i am loving the effect anyway. :P

http://mywords-myheart.blogspot.com/2009/12/its-beginning-to-look-lot-like.html

[joscie]

here is some shaped bokeh that I shot this year at city hall:
http://www.cutchens.com/2009/12/honolulu-city-lights/
and how to make some of your own:
http://www.cutchens.com/2009/12/how-to-make-a-high-tech-bokeh-shaper/

[Maegan]

Um, yeah, I think I have a bit of a bokeh addiction...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbeasoap/4198101305/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbeasoap/4190972988/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbeasoap/4182540907/

I'm going to miss Christmas...

[Samantha]

Christmas ornament with bokeh:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48975751@N00/4201393611/

[Ruthiedee]

I'm glad I found your blog. Looking forward to more. I'm thinking of turning my blog into a photoblog... I need a change. You'll provide some inspiration.

[Shawna]

Haven't uploaded the stuff I shot yesterday, but I love this one I got last year:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shawnac/3172102117/in/set-72157612169560287/

The garland made a fabulous river of bokeh.

[Kiesha]

This is really cool! Now I know what to call that....
http://kbondphotos.blogspot.com/2009/12/img4114.html

[jenn]

Holiday Bokeh: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennemmer/4194756512/

That is going to be the only way to get a nice picture of my tree I think. We have a small apartment and so we have a 3 food artificial tree which has been kept in a box that is just a bit too small, for just a bit too long... It's not pretty but it's still festive!

[Jen]

Such cute little toes. I love holiday bokeh just as much as the rest of you. It's just so fun to capture.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlm513_jens_pics/4186509101/

[Jen]

Just want to share another.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlm513_jens_pics/4202417315/

[Aia]

i am a fan of bokeh, but have a difficult time reproducing it. here is my attempt:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40446906@N04/4202712836/

merry christmas!

[cheryl]

here's one of my faves from last year. i'm saving this year's photo for christmas eve.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/credd/3135982686/in/set-72157612023820844/

[sophie]

I admit I usually try to avoid bokeh bubbles (by doing the reverse of the suggestions above) but once a while I like the accidental result, as in this picture:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/limesally/4075476652/

and a few days ago, I did try to get it on purpose, for this completely abstract Christmas light shot:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/limesally/4179825925/

[Beryl]

My favorite part of the holidays!!! I have taken so many shots of my tree this month I am sure my blog readers are getting sick of it. But I can't pass up the opportunity for so much beautiful bokeh!

http://bellarose-photography.com/?p=307
http://bellarose-photography.com/?p=320
http://bellarose-photography.com/?p=348
http://bellarose-photography.com/?p=376
http://bellarose-photography.com/?p=386
http://bellarose-photography.com/?p=398
http://bellarose-photography.com/?p=402

[Suzanna]

I looove this shot!

[Cait]

Longtime lurker coming out of the woodwork to say that I absolutely LOVE this picture. It is gorgeous!!! The colors particularly are so clear and seasonally tonal :) Lovely, lovely!

[Ryan Schulz]

Love the feet in front of the Christmas tree!

I like this one from my session on Saturday: http://rwschulz.com/blog/2009/12/all-in-a-days-work/

[Singapore Photo Studios]

Happened to google and come upon this blog and i must say that the photography i found here was a more than pleasant surprise! It was like finding a flower in a desert- i love your images, esp this one you took of bokehs, they all have a very beautiful and magical feel about them, and i love your color balance taste :)

Will be coming back to be blessed more! ;)

[Kristy]

Great! Not only did I learn all about bokeh, but I saw some AMAZING photos and discovered Bella Rose Photography's photoblog...win/win/win.

[Kellee]

I am a bokeh addict, I admit it. I found myself fascinated with this sequin in the midday sun because of all the lovely bokeh it created:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/booyacakel/4194485312/

I love Christmas lights, love looking at them, love the bokeh, but HATE photographing them. This year I took a bunch of bokeh only shots, which I typically don't like, but it's just how the lights feel to me:

http://notsosmallthings.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-walk-and-minor-nod-to-wtf.html

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