As a quick post, I thought it might be fun to tell you about ways to create shaped bokeh. I was mesmerized when I first saw the heart, star, tree, and paw shaped dots of light in photos all over Flickr and the web. I immediately investigated how to take shots like the one below.
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| Photo from tehchix0r on Flickr |
In searching how to do this, I found a "ghetto/college student/cheapskate" solution. This basically consists of cutting a piece of stock card or construction paper into a circle the size of your lens. Then, cut a shape--any shape you're artistically capable of making--into the center of the circle. Personally, I used fancy paper hole punches (hearts and stars) to make the shapes that I wanted. Tape this over your lens, switch it to manual focus, and start shooting. If you're having trouble visualizing this setup, DIY Photography has a more detailed procedure for this technique here.
I'll admit that I am no expert at this and it was very difficult to get the focus to work correctly. However, I've only tried it a couple times, so I may be able to figure out ways to improve my skills. Here are a few shots from my first attempt.
As you can see, I struggled with focus and blur in many situations. I plan to try this again now that I have a proper tripod (I got it for Christmas a couple days after shooting these photos) to see if it helps with some of my blur issues. I will post those as soon as I am in a situation with pretty lights to photograph again.
I also did some research into buying the actual bokeh filters. I found a nifty bokeh kit on Photojojo that is calling to me. If I weren't trying so hard to save money before graduation, I would probably go for this impulse buy. It's a reasonable $25 for the lens attachment and a wide variety of shapes. If arts and crafts frustrate you, this product may be the way to go: http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/bokeh-kit/
Anyway, have fun with this little trick and let me know if you have tips as to how to improve its quality! :)
