By R. L. Passman

In this digital photography tutorial I discuss the technique of isolating the subject matter of your photograph using the focusing technique of bokeh. Bokeh is a Japanese word that roughly translates as the aesthetic quality of the blur. The technique uses depth of field to isolate a subject against a background that is out of focus. The subject matter is in sharp focus thereby emphasizing the subject while hinting at a sense of place without specificity.

I often use this technique while photographing out of doors, especially when I want to isolate a flower or plant in an otherwise cluttered environment. Because I want to 'see' the subject as the main piece of the photograph, I use any one of several approaches available to me to capture the essence of the subject.

Public Domain CC0

Using Macro Rings

One technique is to extend the placement of the lens relative to the image capture medium using extension tubes. The effect created by extending the lens relative to the 'film' is to absolutely isolate the subject against an otherwise blurred background while magnifying the subject to reveal hidden detail. I find using extension tubes and a long lens is ideal for picking up nuanced detail in the interior of flowers, when photographing insects (when they agree to sit still for you) and other subjects where exploded and enlarged detail provides a visual impact that is otherwise missing.

When using macro rings, a tripod is an absolute requirement. The front of the lens is place quite close to the subject and your ability to hand hold the camera, focus and shoot is close to impossible. The steady nature of the tripod allows you to do all that is required to make a powerful, engaging image.

Using Depth of Field

Canon with f2.8 lens
 Photo credit: Carlos Delgado
CCASA3.0

Often in the field I shoot with a 28-105mm f2.8 lens. When choosing to isolate a subject I open the lens up fully and use the longest available focal length. I choose a position that is close to the subject, although I need not be so completely on top of the subject so as to scare away any insect life that might be feeding on the flower. I focus on the subject letting the background fall off into a blurry amalgamation of blended color and a resulting graphic design. Steadying the camera on a tripod is also needed to assure a steady hand.

The difference between the long lens wide open and the extension tubes is one of degree of magnification. With the long lens the subject appears more natural, less magnified if you will. In terms of isolation, the whole purpose of bokeh there is no significant difference.

In terms of impact, either extension tubes or long lens solutions are an interesting way to provide your viewer an experience of isolation of subject matter which, in fact, mirrors what the eye actually sees as we focus on objects close to our eyes. It is my sincere hope that you enjoyed this digital photography tutorial on bokeh.

Roger Passman is an award winning professional photographer located in Northern Illinois. He often leads creative photo workshops designed for beginning through intermediate amateur photographers. He regularly exhibits his work throughout the Midwest at juried art fairs and gallery showings.
 Article Source

By Eric Cross 


Photography can be a very difficult thing to master, as there are so many different sorts of techniques that not many are aware of. Fortunately, with a ton of practice and a lot of hard work, any beginner photographer can become the best they can be.

Photography is way more than just taking pictures, it is a form of art that requires patience and a lot of creativity. Without these two factors, you will become just another photographer trying to making it in this huge industry.

With the simple advice below, you can maybe get to become a photographer that exceeds the skill and talent of all the other photographers out there.

Before you even start to get serious you absolutely must have a decent tripod...

Photog At Work by michael horodyski

1. Watch Your Exposure

Being careful with your exposure likely is one of the most important techniques when taking amazing pictures. Most cameras however were made to already be very skilled at calculating the right exposure levels, especially if the lighting of a scene is even.

However, under certain light conditions, the camera could easily be thrown off. That is when you must need to step up your game and take control of the situation.

If a photo is dark, it means it is under-exposed, and when it's too bright it is over-exposured. Practice controlling your exposure, and your photos will always look perfect.

It is also worth understanding your white balance. To begin with you can just check your environment and select a white balance setting that matches it. Is it sunny? Use the sunny setting. Is it cloudy? Use the cloudy setting etc...

2. Compose Your Frame

Composition of pictures refers to the things located in a frame. These objects can be the subject, the foreground, background, and anything else which may appear in the photo.

Understanding proper composition in photos is a crucial technique to perfect when creating top-notch images. Fortunately, there's a simple method you could follow when first learning what composition is.

This technique is called "Rule of Thirds". It isn't an obligation to employ it when taking photos, but it can help enhance the structure or composition of an image making it more interesting to the eye. The most important element in a photo should be located within these areas, or in the area where these lines intersect.

Portrait - Rule of thirds and Fibonacci spiral by Marco Ciofalo Digispace

3. Work With Motion Blur

Blurring motion in pictures is a very fun effect that can make a simple photo look extraordinary. Plus, perfecting this technique will even allow you to learn how to gain total control on your camera's shutter speed.

4.  Master Bokeh

Bokeh is basically the quality of blur in out-of-focus parts of a photo. Bokeh can be obtained by simply controlling the depth of field in an image. This depth is the distance between the farthest and nearest elements of scenes that are in-focus. Deep focus means everything in your photo is sharp. Where shallow focus means only one specific area of the image will be sharp.

5. High Dynamic Range

HDR is a technique of capturing a range of shots between the lightest to the darkest areas of a scene (the dynamic range). You will need to employ AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing) to make this work so you will also need a tripod.

Taking HDR photos is a little challenging at first, but it's a great skill to practice. You'll have to work the images together post-processing the images to achieve the final result. So it is also a smart introduction to use Photoshop or any other imaging software to do this - photomatix being one of the most popular.

Light and Dark by Steve Huskisson

Author Eric Cross

Eric Cross is a budding photographer who balances his time taking photographs with time spent writing about taking photographs, putting together a free guide for everyone wanting to learn about trick photography and special effects. 

Article Source: 5 Essential Techniques in Photography