Good bokeh photography is when the out-of-focus part of the image creates an aesthetically pleasing effect, and to bring the in-focus part of the image into sharper focus. The word ‘Bokeh‘ is derived from the Japanese word ‘Boke’, which translates to ‘blur’ or ‘haze’. As is to be expected, the bokeh effect is achievable through Photoshop and can become the main ‘focus’ of the image – even though it is the ‘out-of-focus’ part!
Bokeh is used more and more in films – there are not many films made these days that don’t include some bokeh lighting effects somewhere. We have mentioned bokeh effect used in web design, and today we are going to touch on bokeh in photography.
50 Beautiful Examples of Bokeh Photography
This collection of bokeh photography has been chosen for the ‘naturalness’ of the bokeh effect – in other words, the bokeh sits nicely with the in-focus part of the image. Some of these images are un-Photoshopped, others have been manipulated – but they are all excellent examples of good bokeh effects.
Winter cap by Ernst Vikne
What are you thinking? by Vampire-zombie
Web Bokeh by inertia09
Velvet Bokeh by Savatay
Untitled Piano by Serg Tsvetkov
Untitled Lightbulb by June1777
And then there were umbrellas by Richard Huttemann
Toucan bird by Doug Wheller
Tomato drink by SlevinAaron
Thousand suns by miuenski
The cute Kailash by Tambako The Jaguar
Taxi by Ben Fredericson
Standing under the bokeh by Healzo
Stacked by Mo Riza
Splash by Adrian Lim
Sky Limit by Anton Serenity
Sirfido Funanbulista by Anxo Resua
Simple Pleasure by Wink
Save Ferris by Jamie Carter
Row Upon Row by NomadicLass
Rice Flowers 1 by Ratabago
Red Beauty by JonasKr
Polly want an HDR? by Talke Photography
Peppers at the market by Bram Cymet
Oscar’s Profile by Azleas
Moonchild by daintyish
Magnolia Warbler by Vicki DeLoach
Light strand by Joshua Coach oh Ommen
Le papillon by wishinbubble
Last One by JustPhotographing
Icy bokeh tea by neatmummy
I See Bokeh by PJM
This is how it feels by Necrossis
When Homer meets donut by ryan9088
Her Kingdom by sleep24
Here, have a bokeh by rawheadrex
Green Grass Red Tomato by Cuba Gallery
Fools like me by Michela
Float on down by doug88888
Emma J-21 by Jonathan Addie
Drip Drop by tuttzilla
Dockscape by mugley
Daydreamer by orhanokay
Day Two Hundred Forty Two by Dustin Diaz
CupAJoe Mondays by Richard Terborg
Blue hour by Will Montague
Berry Bright Bokeh by Terry Potter
Bells and bokeh by Shivali Chopra
After… by Svedek
10/10/10 by Annais Ferreira
The Beauty of Bokeh Photography
Whether these bokeh effects are straight from the camera, or added or enhanced in Photoshop, the effect is outstanding. However, bokeh was a hugely popular trend some months ago, but seems to have been slowly losing its popularity. Good bokeh photography, showing blurred background lighting or out-of-focus image backgrounds will always be good to look at and appreciated.
Do you think the popularity of bokeh is in decline? Do you consider bokeh has a long-term place in design? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
