Lenses that start at f/3.5, which are common in basic kit zoom lenses, may not create the incredible-looking effect you want. Ideally, try and use a lens that has aperture settings as low as f/1.4, f/1.8, or at least f/2.8. It makes sense that the shape of your aperture (defined by the shape of the blades) is what dictates the shape of your bokeh effect. This is due to the unique optical designs of different lenses. Producing beautiful bokeh photography can also depend on the lens itself. Using a longer length lens allows for more blur as does placing the camera closer to the subject. If you want especially dramatic bokeh shapes, try going out at night and pointing your lens at various lights (e.g., street lights, holiday lights, and car headlights).Remember that the focal length of the lens and the distance from the camera to the subject can also give you a shallow depth of field. (You’ll probably want to experiment with different points of focus as you photograph different subjects.) Therefore, it helps to set your lens to focus manually, then to adjust the point of focus until it’s as close to the front of the camera as possible. Remember that only unfocused points of light in the photograph – that is, the bokeh – will be affected by the filter. If you don’t have a tripod, a table will also do the trick! For the sharpest, cleanest photos, I’d recommend dropping your shutter speed and mounting your camera on a tripod. (On my lens, the lowest available f-stop is f/1.8, but depending on the lens you use, you might be able to go even lower – to f/1.4 or even f/1.2).īecause the filter blocks out light, you’ll want to dial in a lengthy shutter speed and/or a high ISO. To make the most of your custom bokeh shapes, I’d recommend working with a few specific camera settings.įirst, set your camera to Aperture Priority or Manual mode, then change the f-stop to its lowest value. Step 4: Adjust your camera settings and take some photos! Of course, make sure you insert the filter carefully lenses are fragile, and you don’t want to damage the front element. If you find that the filter doesn’t quite fit, you can always trim the edges further or start the process over. This can be a bit frustrating and may take some trial and error, but I’d recommend keeping the shape to 5 mm at a minimum and 20 mm at most.įor reference, the shape in the image below is about 15-20 mm on the longest side: Keep in mind that, to work properly, the shape can’t be too big or too small if the shape is too small, it’ll block out unmanageable amounts of light, and if the shape is too big, you won’t be able to see the effect in your photos at all. Then, in the very center of the circle, draw the outline of the shape. I recommend starting out with five-pointed stars, triangles, hearts, crosses, and even question marks. That said, the simpler the design, the easier it is to cut. It can be anything: a tree, a triangle, a heart, a bird, or a star. Step 2: Cut out your bokeh shapeĭetermine the bokeh shape you wish to create. The front lens element is generally about 0.5 mm smaller than the lens cap, so you may need to trim the edges of the circle for a tight fit, though I’d recommend leaving a little tab to help you pull out the filter once you’re done shooting. Using your scissors, cut around the outline of the lens cap so that you have a circle that fits snugly in front of your lens. (Alternatively, you can measure the diameter of your lens, set a compass to the correct measurement, and draw a circle on the paper.) Carefully trace around the outside of the cap with a pen. Start by placing the lens cap on the sheet of black paper. A sheet of black poster or construction paper.A lens with a wide maximum aperture (if you don’t have an ultra-fast lens, just go with the widest-aperture lens you own).
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