If you have been in the photography business for some time, you would be conversant with the term “bokeh effect”. In this article, we shall see in detail how to make it; in practice, we will understand how to take a photo with the bokeh effect without help from an editor on mac.

Optics to be used

There are no specific lenses for this photography technique. We can use a superzoom like a 50mm. There are limitations. With a 50mm we should be very close to the subject, and therefore we will need a large aperture (at least f / 1.8 ) to create the blurred effect in the background. With a zoom lens (e.g. 200mm ), we will instead stay farther away from the subject, and we will be able to use slightly more closed apertures (e.g. F / 6.3 ) as the effect of the blur will be given by the distance between the camera, the subject in the foreground and background.

Equipment

If you shoot outdoors, you will probably be at night or in low light situations. But even if you shoot indoors, you will still be in a dimly lit environment. Consequently, the easel is practically mandatory. If you are building a “do it yourself” photo set, as background lights, I recommend the classic lights used for the Christmas tree (now they will surely be locked in some boxes in the cellar!). Place them at least 3 or 4 meters behind the subject. If you shoot outdoors, use the night lights of the city as a background.

Technique

In essence, it is merely a matter of focusing on the subject in the foreground and blurring the background. So, at least for the first tests, you can work with the aperture priority program (Av) by setting the aperture value to the lowest number allowed by your lens (corresponding to the maximum aperture available). Give great importance to the composition, so that the contrast between the foreground subject and the background lights is pleasant. At this point, you are ready, focus on the item in the foreground and shoot.