Guest post by Jim Harmer from ImprovePhotography.com.
When photographers use shallow depth-of-field, the purpose is usually to make the subject of the photo stand out from the background. Unfortunately, this usually means that the photographer forgets about the aesthetic quality of the area not in focus and pays attention only to the subject. Big mistake. This article seeks to teach photographers how to achieve beautiful bokeh.
Bokeh is the quality of the portion of a photograph that is not in sharp focus. The pronunciation of “bokeh” is debated, but the photo world seems to have settled on the pronunciation “bouquet.” Many photographers do not realize that they can control the aesthetic quality of the bokeh. There are four basic techniques to improve your bokeh: adjusting depth-of-field, choosing the proper lens, creating custom bokeh, and using bokeh to relate with the foreground.
1. Adjusting Depth-of-Field
Image by anton khoff
Because bokeh is the blurry portion of an image, it is directly related to depth of field, which controls how much of the image is out of focus. A low aperture value produces short depth-of-field, and consequently a larger blurry portion of the image. Also, the shorter the focal length, the greater the depth of field. The last consideration in controlling depth of field is the lens-to-focal point distance. A longer distance between the lens and the focal point creates a greater depth-of-field.
Many beginning photographers always push for the lowest aperture available. This is a mistake. Often, the blurry portion of the photo is more aesthetically pleasing if enough detail is left in the background to make out some shapes or objects. The first rule to better bokeh is to determine proper depth-of-field rather than always choosing the blurriest background available.
2. Choosing the Proper Lens
Image by izik
The aperture is a group of several blades which form a circle or octagon through which the light passes to the sensor. Apertures which utilize more blades or have curved blades will produce more circular-shaped light bursts in the bokeh, while apertures with more octagonal openings produce a similarly-shaped light burst. Many photographers prefer the circular bokeh to the more octagonal shapes. Generally, more expensive lenses use more blades and/or utilize curved aperture blades in an effort to produce a more circular bokeh.
3. Creating Custom Bokeh
A few years ago, it became very popular for photographers to create special cut-outs in various shapes to go on a lens. The shape of the cut-out will control the shape of the light bursts in the bokeh. This is a very creative and eye-catching effect as long as it is not overdone. To create this effect, simply punch out a small (approximately the size of a dime) shape in a black piece of paper. Then tape this paper over the front of the lens as if it were a lens cap, with the cut-out precisely in the middle of the lens. When you take a picture, the bokeh will reflect the shape of the cut-out.
4. Relating the Foreground with the Background
Image by Shermeee
Often, the most captivating photographs are those which do something that the viewer did not anticipate. Relating the sharp foreground subject of an image with something in the blurry portion of the image can create a truly creative image. You’ve probably seen this effect in wedding photography when a bride is close to the camera and in sharp focus, with the groom blurry in the background. This technique is even stronger when the foreground not only relates to the background, but when it interacts with it.
Bokeh is one of the most-used photographic techniques, but one of the least focused-on. Applying these four methods to achieving better bokeh will dramatically improve your photography.
Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips.
How to Achieve Better Bokeh – 4 Simple Tips
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Oh — despite all those points I just made — I actually really enjoyed the article! Thank you for helping me to think about bokeh as something I can plan rather than just as luck.
1) Just because it’s pronounced one way in Japan doesn’t mean it has to be pronounced the same way here. After all, we say “pariss” not “paree.”
2) you can get wonderful dotted light bokeh with an inexpensive 50mm f/1.8 lens. It may not be as perfectly circular or sharp or whatever was what you’d get with a more expensive lens, but people shouldn’t be put off. I take most of my photos with dotted lights with my 35mm f/1.8. I have even seen some lovely dotted bokeh shots with kit lenses (such as the Nikon 18-55 or 55-200 lenses). It takes more work to set up such a shot, but it can be done).
3) my daughter only uses a point & shoot (canon a590IS — not an expensive camera) and has achieved some okay blur in the background by using the “flower” setting even on non-flowers. The “portrait” setting will sometimes do it as well.
@Jeff
Well, I will respectfully disagree and again site my knowledge and experience of the Japanese language and the Japanese origin of the word. Maybe it is a regional U.S. thing, everyone in Florida says “bow-kay” also.
@sonya natasha, that is how I pronounce it too. Are your p&s friends sad when you tell them it’s impossible to achieve bokeh with their equipment? There’s a reason SLR’s are considered professional equipment, bokeh being one of them!
Of course a wide angle shot (or macro) on a p&s can be indistinguishable from a DSL image, I always advise p&s owners to work to the strength of their equipment. 
“love bokeh and am guilty of using it too much”
“I think bokeh is one of those trends right now in photography that can be way overuse”
“But if you think you do it to much try shooting with wide glass its very hard to get bokah there”
“is not how much DOF you give to your picture but also to pay attention to where exactly it is”
“I loved it [50mm 1.8 Canon lens]and have many cherished photos with great bokeh from it”
“I agree that it can be overused, but people love it! My p&s friends are constantly asking me to teach them how to do ‘that blurry thing that makes pictures look professional…”
All these comments make me believe most people don’t understand the definition of bokeh – this thread has turned into more a discussion of depth-of-field, specifically the use of a shallow one. While a shallow depth-of-field produces a lot of blur, or “defocus” which in turn reveals the “bokeh”, the bokeh itself is not the amount of blur for defocussed objects, but is rather the more subjective, aesthetic QUALITY of that blur. You can’t “use” bokeh too much – it is simply a characteristic that is present whenever there is any amount of defocus. “Great bokeh” doesn’t mean a ton of blur, it means out of focus edges are balanced, symmetrical, and generally pleasing to the eye. For instance, the Canon 50mm f/1.8 can give a very shallow depth-of-field with lots of blur when shot wide open, but the bokeh on that lens is generally considered low-quality because the smaller number of aperture blades produces more jagged highlight blurs, and the blur is often asymettrical or uneven (as opposed to a 50mm f/1.2L stopped to f1.8 which would produce the same amount of blur as the f/1.8 except the quality of the blur would be considered “better”)
I pronounce Bokeh the same as another poster mentioned – Boca, as in Boca Raton. I agree that it can be overused, but people love it! My p&s friends are constantly asking me to teach them how to do ‘that blurry thing that makes pictures look professional…’
With appropriate research, you’ll discover the proper pronunciation of bokeh is “bow-kuh.” After that you’ll cringe whenever others attempt to make themselves appear as if they have a good grasp of the industry lingo and pronounce it “bow-kay.” Together, let’s preserve the word etymology and the intelligence of our industry or hobby and say it right.
BTW, a custom bokeh mask is a great idea. A quick Google search results in many “make-your-own” tutorials. But, does anyone know if there are manufactured “lens cap”-style bokeh masks available?
Not sure I agree with the comment that it’s a mistake to aim for using the lowest possible aperture. My Canon 85 mm f1.2L is a favourite for a reason, and (I’m my mind at least) you don’t spend that kind of coin and to not shoot wide open as much as possible. Especially with that lens which is known to be tack sharp wide open.
I shoot on-location family photography, and shooting wide open at 1.2 is wonderful for bringing the focus to the subject, and blurring out a districting background. A favourite shoot, where I shot with the 85, is this one: http://hollysissonphotography.com/2009/09/25/the-k-family-family-photography-toronto-ontario/
This first image was shot wide open at 1.2, just love the shallow depth of field and the softness it gives to the background. And the backlit series of mom and daughter…still one of my favourite series shot with that lens.
The Canon 85 f1.2L is definitely a favourite for a reason, that reason is spelled B-O-K-E-H.
glad the comment about focal distance caught someones attention because I was confused. question for group, do you think the effect is greater with a longer focal length eg. 85v50, 105v85, 200v105?
One of my favorite lens for the bokeh effect is my sigma 150-500mm at f6.3. Shoot just about any portrait from 10-30 ft washes out the background nicely as long as its not right next to subject.