Bokeh or Boke??? That is the question

Wikipedia defines Bokeh as the blur or the aesthetic quality of the blur in out-of-focus areas of an image, or "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light." Bokeh occurs for parts of the scene that lie outside the depth of field. The term comes from the Japanese word Boke which means "blur" or "haze." The English spelling bokeh was popularized in 1997 in Photo Techniques magazine, when Mike Johnston, the editor at the time, commissioned three papers on the topic for the March/April 1997 issue; he altered the spelling to suggest the correct pronunciation to English speakers, saying "it is properly pronounced with bo as in bone and ke as in Kenneth, with equal stress on either syllable".

I have seen this displayed best when it is Christmas. Many photographers cover their lenses with black construction paper with a very small shape cut out to change the shape of the distorted light. As a matter of fact my new sister in law tried this last Christmas with a small heart shape and it turned out very well. I thought I would try myself with some shapes that were a little unconventional. I also thought that I would show what happens when the camera is still and also when it is not set on a tripod. Any slight movement when you are trying to distort the light will give very different and sometimes radical results.

This was the first pic I took with a cut out of the typical cherry emblem. For this one I just blurred the entire picture.

This was an arrow which actually showed up pretty well. However, you can see what just a slight hand movement can create.

Now this was still the cherries but I was moving my arm in circular motions to show what can happen with rapid movement.

This was also the cherry emblem.

This was again the cherry emblem but with slight movement as my hands love to shake. I put it on here because it reminds me of those great paintings with the stick like figures that would always be playing the saxaphone. :-)

The amazing Bart!!!!!!

As many of you out there agree I love to take pictures of my beloved dog. He is now 8 months old and is very active. This was of course his first snow. It of course pails in comparison to last years snowmaggedon but it is snow none the less. Here are some of the shots of his first frollick.

As I stated above.... very little snow :-(

Down on the farm

Summer's Farm in Frederick, MD turned out to be a real find. It takes the traditional pumpkin patch and adds much more fun for the whole family. There was many, many mazes of all sizes as well as slides, games, pig races, and of course hay rides. These types of farms provide a great backdrop for family portraits or even engagement session photos.

The falling leaves drift by my window.... The falling leaves of red and gold

Although this is the time of year that nature is preparing to go into hibernation for winter it sure knows how to go out with a bang. The rich reds, golds, yellows, oranges, purples, and the lingering green are so enfuzed I cannot help but look around in awe. My music portfolio at this time of year becomes much more heartfelt. I am often reminded of the song Autumn Leaves. It was originally a french song that translated to english with the title of the dead leaves. In the late 1940's Johnny Mercer wrote the english lyrics and Jo Stafford was one of the first to record it. It is most recognizable now with the version that Nat King Cole sang. My personal favorite is the K.D. Lang version that was recorded for the Midnight in the garden of good and evil movie directed by Clint Eastwood. Her melancholy voice really added some more depth to this already wonderful song. When I look at my surroundings at this time of year it hard not to hear that song going through your mind.

Man make fire..... I take picture

Photography fire and any kind of flame sounds great but when it comes to actually making the shot it is a different story. Joe and I often bonfire it up on Friday nights especially at this time of year. Above are some of the shots I took in our own fire pit. Here are some tips to getting the best shot you can from your fire. Remember shots of bonfires and campfires are a great way to have warmth in your photos. A longer shutter time is the way to go for sure. Another tip is the lower the F setting the better. There will be some natural blurring so if you can rest the camera on something or of course use a tripod the better the shot will come out. You must also realize that if you are taking pictures of people around the fire that unless they are staying fairly still they might appear blurred as well.

Wolverine in Maryland

 
 
Cosplay has become very popular especially with all of the Comic Con related events that have been coming around. Cosplay by definition is costume play. I recently went with a friend who bares a striking resemblence to Wolverine from the X-men comic books. We took some photos in a wooded location with the traditional Wolverine gear that he would wear in Canada with of course the claws. I did some editing with the photos to really make Wes a true comic book.

Sorry for my absence..... I was at the fair.

 
 
 
Wow, it has been a busy late summer early fall. As many of you know fair season marks this time of the year. It is a great backdrop for photo opportunities. I attended many more fairs this year than in the past ( and rode many more rides as well.) While enjoying myself I took the time to re-create some infamous shots that we often see online and in the summer activities catalogs we get at our local libraries. I would often see these shots and love the colors and authenticity of the people in them. Above are some photographs that I took with my own view on them. Enjoy.