RichardQ Loc: Colorado

Just remember that horizontal shots land in the inside editorial pages of magazines, but vertical shots get the cover!

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Dark, it surprises me, but maybe it shouldn't, that some of those that are in a position to be the most knowledgable about, "bokeh", are the most resistant, and first to dismiss it.
Composition is always going to be king, but how we compose, and what we include, especially purposeful, is what composition is all about. I take shots with the specific intent to have OOF areas, sometimes both in front of, and behind a subject. And my intent is usually to present what I would consider, high quality OOF, or bokeh at its best, meaning a very smooth mix of OOF, be it spectral or not.
I also realize that this is a function of the lens, which is why so many wedding Photogs use the 85 1.2 lens.
Good bokeh comes at a high $$ cost, but so does a lot in photography.
Maybe some old dogs just have trouble applying new terms, but many are eager to learn, and they should be taught. Some concepts are not easy to grasp, which is why in school, specific assignments are given just for that purpose.
While some resist educating, Those that are willing, shouldl continue to do so when They can. It's not so hard to make a difference. ;-)
SS

amehta Loc: Boston

Yes, come visit the land of the f/1.4s. :-D

gatega1958

You, sir, are my hero of the day!

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Richard, you are absolutely right, and that's why in school you are taught, if shooting for editorial, always compose as many shots as you can, both ways when possible! ;-)
SS

Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN

The better question is, do you like bokeh just because of what it is and because everyone is doing it or do you feel that it adds to the message of your image?

Also, I am curious, what makes you think that I am in a position to be very knowledgeable about bokeh?

amehta Loc: Boston

I'm an "isolationist" with my photographs, so bokeh is a useful tool for that.

Terrym9 Loc: Hillsboro, Oregon

This is an interesting topic. I also notice a lot of entries don't conform, but it really doesn't matter. I am not an experienced photographer, but each and every contest makes me think about how to take a picture. Because of this I think they help me considerably. I thoroughly enjoy the topics and the discussions. Since the last discussion I read I now make it a point to only enter when I can shoot a new picture for the contest.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Darkroom, I feel I'm an artist with my camera, be it journalism or landscape. I personally take shots specifically to include OOF. Without the bokeh/OOF, I would just have another snapshot. I have also aquired lenses JUST because they will help in that artistic pursuit.
Is it what everybody else is doing? I have no idea. I chose my f-stops as I envision my compositions.
I've been influenced by many, but I'm doing my thing, not theirs!

Dark, I just made the assumption that since you are currently pursuing a BFA, with emphases on photography, that your methods and teaching are both current, if not cutting edge, from professionals that are pushing the envelope in their respective subject matters. For me, it's had a huge influence. ;-)
SS

amehta Loc: Boston

It sounds like you're using the contests as "weekly photo assignments" in a photography course. That's a cool approach!

bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

My first day of photography class I learned bokeh when we covered depth of field. ( 4 weeks ago) I didnt think Id ever hear or see that word again. So my entered photo was in compliance. ( I forgot to give it a name or description though)

bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

so I just wasn't as perfect as I thought .

10MPlayer Loc: California

If you look through the examples in the article St3v3 posted for the contest only the mushroom picture has spectral highlights in the background. Most examples contain a sharp central area or subject with out of focus background, or background and foreground. Most feature both foreground and background out of focus. Maybe there isn't one set agreed upon definition.

amehta Loc: Boston

You're guaranteed to hear the word again here! :-)

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

Welcome to art.

Bokeh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh (edited)
In photography, bokeh is the blur, or the aesthetic quality of the blur, in out-of-focus areas of an image. Bokeh has been defined as "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.
Bokeh is often most visible around small background highlights, such as specular reflections and light sources, which is why it is often associated with such areas. However, bokeh is not limited to highlights; blur occurs in all out-of-focus regions of the image.

Bokeh for Beginners http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Learn-And-Explore/Article/h0ndz86v/bokeh-for-beginners.html (edited)
Bokeh comes from the Japanese word boke, which means "blur" or "haze", or boke-aji, the "blur quality." Bokeh is pronounced BOH-Kə or BOH-kay.
Bokeh is defined as “the effect of a soft out-of-focus background that you get when shooting a subject, using a fast lens, at the widest aperture, such as f/2.8 or wider.” Simply put, bokeh is the pleasing or aesthetic quality of out-of-focus blur in a photograph.
Although bokeh is actually a characteristic of a photograph, the lens used determines the shape and size of the visible bokeh. Usually seen more in highlights, bokeh is affected by the shape of the diaphragm blades (the aperture) of the lens. A lens with more circular shaped blades will have rounder, softer orbs of out-of-focus highlights, whereas a lens with an aperture that is more hexagonal in shape will reflect that shape in the highlights.

bokeh http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bokeh
A trick in photography where one part of the photo is in focus and the rest isn't, so attention is drawn to the subject. That out-of-focus area is called bokeh.

bokeh http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/bokeh
The visual quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image, especially as rendered by a particular lens:

bokeh http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bokeh
a Japanese term for the subjective aesthetic quality of out-of-focus areas of a photographic image

Bokeh http://photography.about.com/od/gloss3/g/bokehglossary.htm
Bokeh simply means fuzzy or out of focus. It is used to refer to the effect of shallow depth of field that creates a pleasing blur of color behind the subject. The type of lens and the depth of field play a large part in determining how out of focus the area is and whether or not it creates a pleasing effect in the image.

What is Bokeh? http://photographylife.com/what-is-bokeh
The word comes from Japanese language, which literally translates as “blur”.

What is Bokeh? http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2010/02/11/what-is-bokeh

What is the Bokeh Effect in Photography? http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/what-is-the-bokeh-effect-in-photography
...“bokeh”. It is Japanese in origin and refers to blur or a blurry quality, and in photography it is a very recognizable technique.

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