Posts Tagged: bokeh
Picture the Holidays – Day Sixteen
The Season of Lights
“Time was with most of us, when Christmas Day, encircling all our limited world like a magic ring, left nothing out for us to miss or seek; bound together all our home enjoyments, affections, and hopes; grouped everything and everyone round the Christmas fire, and make the little picture shining in our bright young eyes, complete.”–Charles Dickens
Dripping In Fall
Sometimes I wish it was fall all year long. You know when you are on a long country drive and you want to go anywhere but home, because you just don’t want the feeling to end? On that road the leaves barrel down towards the window in a storm of auburn rust. One-by-one making their mark, holding on to the outside of the window, showcasing their beauty, individually, before velocity changes their direction. Leaves are the snowflakes of autumn. They twirl down from the tops of trees, spiraling to the ground, landing in various positions, exposed. Together they make a tapestry of color on the grass that was not so long ago lush and green. In each one you can see a beauty that is unlike any other. Prior to this they spent chlorophyll-ed days, part of a grandiose beauty, swaying in the warm summer breeze. Now, one by one, they leap begging to be noticed. I know there aren’t enough days in this season to see the complete glory of fall. One country drive isn’t enough, and that’s why I allow myself to lie on the ground, dripping in fall.
Picture It Outside of the Box {Week 8}
Thank you to Jen, Jenty, Tara, Jodi, Nikowa, Sarah, and Lotus for participating in the “Picture It Outside The Box: Holidaze” challenge!
The challenge for {Week 7} of “Picture It Outside of the Box” is:
{Fun With Bokeh}
Lotus recently posted how to have some fun with bokeh on her blog via one of her #reverb10 posts. Her submission for the “Holidaze” prompt was actually from that post and the inspiration for this challenge.
{The following is directly from Lotus’ blog.}
You’ll need:
- black posterboard or construction paper
- tape (black is a bonus, but regular works)
- cutting implement like x-acto knives, scissors, shape punchers
- optional: lens hood
- recommended: your sense of wonder!
If you’re using a lens hood, trace a circle around it on your black paper. If you’re using your lens straight up, CAREFULLY trace a circle around it on your black paper. Cut out your circle.
Next, you want to draw and then cut a small shape (about 1/2 inch, or 15-20mm) from the middle of your circle. If your shape is too big, you get poor results. Popular shapes include hearts, stars, and crosses. You can get creative here, and that is part of the fun.
Be very careful with your shape – clean lines, no tears, clearly shaped and cut. This is easier to do with x-acto knives or shape punchers than with scissors.
If you are using a lens hood, tape your black circle carefully to it, making sure to block out all light around the edges. Attach your hood to your lens.
[Note: if your hood is too far from your lens, your results may suffer. Closer to lens = better. Another method is putting your paper circle inside a lens filter ring. This also eliminates need for tape. Experiment to see what works best for you!]If you are using your lens with no hood, cut a strip of black paper to wrap around the lens, about 1 inch wide, like a cuff. Tape that shut on the lens, and tape your circle to that, so it sits in front of your lens. This must be flush, no light leaks!
PLAY WITH THE LOVELY BOKEH. SMILE. REPEAT.
I did this one year with heart shapes, and I can’t wait to play some more, because I had totally forgotten how to do this. Lotus reminded me, and I wanted to pass it along in a challenge.
This particular challenge will open through the new year, as the Picture It Outside Of The Box challenge takes a break over Christmas.
When it comes back there will be an awesome announcement with a new project that will DEFINITELY be awesome (believe me!)
Until then…. have fun playing with “the lovely bokeh”.
Oh! And, don’t forget that there’s still time to win 1,000 Free Business Cards!
{Click: Merry Christmas: 1,000 Free Business Cards}
Picture It Outside of the Box {Week 4}
Oh la la! I loved seeing all of you holding your gorgeous tools of the trade. There’s just something about it that makes my heart pitter-patter!
Here’s the submission showcase for the week:
The challenge for {Week 4} of “Picture It Outside of the Box” is:
Let’s Be Bokeh-licious
Here are a couple of examples:
The Challenge: How It Works
- Each week, on Friday, I announce the “Picture It Outside of the Box” photo challenge theme.
- You can submit a photo for the theme by the following THURSDAY. Enter your direct link (to your blog post with the photo in it or your photo on Flickr) in the thumbnail McLinky Tool at the bottom of the post. Keep in mind the linky-loo will close down on Thursday at 12:00 AM EST.
- FIVE submissions from my readers will be showcased on Friday, and the new theme will then be revealed.
- Basically: you play along, you have fun, we show each other our awesome photos, we share inspiration….it’s a win-win situation!
- Visiting fellow photo challenge players is highly encouraged!
Ready. Set. Shoot.
Check out the following 10 new and free Photoshop tutorials for all photographers and designers.
Bokeh Effect
I deliberately shot this set of Benjamin and David, on the trampoline, wide open because I can’t seem to get off f/1.4 this week. And, look at all the beautiful, scrumptious, delectable bokeh. It’s better than *Halloween candy, in my opinion.
(maybe.)
Exposure Mode: Manual
Focal Legnth: 50mm
Shutter Speed: 1/1600th
Aperture: f/1.4
ISO: 400
*Noting can really replace Halloween candy, but I swore it all off, the day before Halloween, when I ate a billion pieces and had a major sugar rush and subsequent crash. So, photography and bokeh are being used as my “drug”, so-to-speak.
