What's bokeh?

[InskiP]

Can someone explain bokeh? What I've gathered from the other posts, is that it's the blending of the background blur when shooting wide aperatures. It's an interesting little word and I just wanted to make sure I understood it correctly. I've taken several photography classes-but it's been awhile-and somehow never stumbled across this word..strange...

Oh, and how is it pronounced? Bouquet? Bokey???

thanks

[GeneMan88]

boh-key... i think that's how it's pronounced. And I think you've got the basic idea.

[InskiP]

What about lens crop? I'm hearing about it in posts, so I did a search but no definition.

[Carzee]

Bokeh is one of the deep mysteries of this world. Some say the word itself can be traced back to the mantra given by a oriental guru. Truly, behind all things, is The Bokeh...

http://www.tigers-animal-actors.com/about/other/ace2-multi.jpg

[Carzee]

Here's a very good thread (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=70691) re Bokeh comparisons.

[pjd83]

I thought it was pronuced "Bo (as in boat) - ka (as in car)"

Its the ability of the lens to render out of focus parts of the image.

[pjd83]

Great examples are...

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=75114&highlight=bokeh

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=75085&highlight=bokeh

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=69785&highlight=bokeh

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=74243&highlight=bokeh

The quality of bekeh also depends on how many diaphram blades the lens has. Tend to find that the lenses with odd numbers such as the EF-50mmf/1.8 which has 5 blades or lenses with 7 create less appealing bokeh than leses with 6 or 8 blades.

[kram]

Any insights on the origin of this term? Also, seems to be relatively new or maybe not one of the most popular photography terms - not too many websites have bokeh as one of the terms explained.

[AFGPhotography]

Any insights on the origin of this term? Also, seems to be relatively new or maybe not one of the most popular photography terms - not too many websites have bokeh as one of the terms explained.

http://kenrockwell.com/tech/bokeh.htm

Check out the rest of Ken's site - very good info. ;)

AFG

[Carzee]

Many photographic terms are not on the net yet. Some are just in magazines and DIY books, used by authors to describe something intangible, some aesthetic quality. I use the terms 'bad bokeh' and 'good bokeh'... then there's the ecstatic discovery in some shots of the much sought after 'bookoo bokeh'...

And yet, bokeh is nothing on its own. It compliments its subject. If you know some Zen at all, well, in some cults The Bokeh is celebrated as a creative aspect of the divine...

[nitsch]

Google definitions says:

In photography, Bokeh is a Japanese word - the transliteration of a Japanese word for "blur" - describing the subjective aesthetic quality of out-of-focus areas of an image projected by a camera lens. For example, in some images the background may be deliberately caused to be out-of-focus to reduce distractions and to emphasize the primary subject.

I pronounce it bo-kay but what do I know! :D

[robertwgross]

Just this morning, I had to run down to my local Canon dealer to buy another six-pack of bokeh. <?>

---Bob Gross---

[TheObiJuan]

bokeh, sounds like 'bo' in bolt, 'ke' in keg. For you spanish speakers, it sounds like Bosque, minus the 's'.

[buginajar]

i always thought it was

(bow-kuh), but then again i'm from texas.

[Duder]

it's pronounced like 'okay' with a 'b' at the front, using a Japanese accent. ;)

[blue_max]

Simple - just turn the bokeh dial all the way up to full. f1 should do it.
:lol:

It's the shape of the highlights, the blend of the colours. Creamy seems to be used to describe the effect quite well. It's more art than science.

Graham