Bokeh photos: Has anyone took photos using the Bokeh method? I would like to learn how to accomplish this. Am use a Sony DT 35mm f1.8 l have used S shutter and used every speed...

bnsf

Has anyone took photos using the Bokeh method? I would like to learn how to accomplish this. Am use a Sony DT 35mm f1.8 l have used S shutter and used every speed available and could not accomplish this. How do you det up the camera to accomplish this effect?
Thank You.

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

Bokeh is the "quality" of out of focus areas.
Try shooting wide open, or near wide open, with some out of focus highlights in the background.
I can post some examples, with your permission.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

I don't know of anything called the Bokeh method. All I know is that if you're looking for a soft out of focus background, shutter speed makes no difference unless you increase your shutter speed and use a wide aperture to throw the background out of focus.

bnsf

Please do. How do l begin to do this. Open lens when l have a fixed,f stop of 1.8? Dont understand.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Also, depending on what camera you're mounting the 35mm lens on, it may be too short of a focal length. Longer lenses have a narrower depth of field and make it easier to achieve out of focus background.

bnsf

Will trg the 18-55 lens. What settings should l use?

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

bnsf wrote:

Will trg the 18-55 lens. What settings should l use?

Maximum aperture (smallest f number) - the rest doesn't matter so long as there is no unwanted subject or camera movement The longest focal length may help.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

It's late so I will give up on this for tonight. Meanwhile please read about how aperture affects depth of field. Until you understand that, there's no point in continuing.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

bnsf wrote:

Please do. How do l begin to do this. Open lens when l have a fixed,f stop of 1.8? Dont understand.

You do not have a fixed f/ stop with this lens. You have a fixed focal length of 35mm with a variable f/ stop or aperture. The max aperture is f/1.8 and the min f/22.

Need to set your camera to aperture priority or manual and set the aperture to f/1.8 to start.

Then play around, you should get the idea. Then try different aperture settings and see how ' depth of field ' changes what is in and out of focus.

jim quist Loc: Missouri

Try this. Set your f-stop to 5.6. or whatever the smallest number is on your lens. Then set the ISO and the shutter speed so that you get the right exposure.
Then move close to something like a fence post and focus on it. Take the picture. You will notice the background behind the fence post will be out of focus.

Go outside with someone and take their picture. You will notice the background will be out of focus.

Here is an article from Nikon on the Bokeh Effect.
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/article/h0ndz86v/bokeh-for-beginners.html

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

bnsf wrote:

Please do. How do l begin to do this. Open lens when l have a fixed,f stop of 1.8? Dont understand.

F1.8 may be the maximum aperure - you should be able to set it to smaller apertures, like f8.
Try putting your camera into aperure priority.

Here are a couple of examples from my archives - notice the out of focus highlights.

#1 f8 (1 stop down from wide open) and F=400mm

(Download)

#2 f=2.0 (wide open) and F=135mm

(Download)

Leicaflex Loc: Cymru

This may assist you:

http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-achieve-better-bokeh-4-simple-tips/

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

bnsf wrote:

Has anyone took photos using the Bokeh method? I would like to learn how to accomplish this. Am use a Sony DT 35mm f1.8 l have used S shutter and used every speed available and could not accomplish this. How do you det up the camera to accomplish this effect?
Thank You.

I do not know what you mean when you say Bokeh method? There is no such thing! Different lenses do have different bokehs, that's all there's to it!

bruswen Loc: Eugene OR

bnsf wrote:

Has anyone took photos using the Bokeh method? I would like to learn how to accomplish this. Am use a Sony DT 35mm f1.8 l have used S shutter and used every speed available and could not accomplish this. How do you det up the camera to accomplish this effect?
Thank You.

With the 35mm f/1.8 lens, try using aperture mode (A), set the aperture to f/1.8. The camera should select the appropriate shutter speed automatically. You will need a foreground object for your focal point. The farther the background is behind your focal point the more it will be out of focus. The quality of this out of focus area is described as bokeh, generally speaking the softer the out of focus area is, the less it will distract from your subject (focal point). The less distractions there are in the background, the better the quality of the bokeh is said to be.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

OddJobber wrote:

I don't know of anything called the Bokeh method. All I know is that if you're looking for a soft out of focus background, shutter speed makes no difference unless you increase your shutter speed and use a wide aperture to throw the background out of focus.