Post your Christmas (bokeh) lights pics!

[EdelineM]

Hi everyone, and happy holidays!

I got the idea to start this thread after seeing several members posts. So this is going to be dedicated to bokeh christmas lights.

Go ahead and post em up everyone!

i just bought my Nikon D90 but I'm confused LOL
How to set the cam so I can shoot bokeh like this?

 

[FrankLamont]

Edeline, what you would be looking for is

a) points of light in the background, some distance away (preferably anywhere between 50cm to-)
b) telephoto~ lens (ie, to compress background/foreground)

 

[Pugs]

Telephoto not necessary. Wide aperture for shallow depth of field is pretty much the main thing here.

If you read through the thread, there's several posts from me and folks more knowledgeable than I on how to do it.

As a starting point, set your camera to Aperture Priority mode and dial in as small an f/stop number as you can and start playing with the distance between your subject and the lights in the background.

 

[TJ K]

 

[LateModelSedan]

 

[FrankLamont]

Telephoto not necessary. Wide aperture for shallow depth of field is pretty much the main thing here.

Correct but also incorrect... it's not necessary, but it helps - a lot.

With a wide angle, the depth of field will gradually drop to unfocused, and also wider; whereas a telephoto (note I said 'telephoto~', meaning thereabouts, not necessarily a 200mm or even 100mm... relatively, ie, also 50mm +) will 'flatten' the image, draw the bokeh closer (thus 'bigger' in relation to the eye), and the DOF will drop off faster and it's narrower.

 

[Pugs]

Telephoto not necessary. Wide aperture for shallow depth of field is pretty much the main thing here.

Correct but also incorrect... it's not necessary, but it helps - a lot.

With a wide angle, the depth of field will gradually drop to unfocused, and also wider; whereas a telephoto (note I said 'telephoto~', meaning thereabouts, not necessarily a 200mm or even 100mm... relatively, ie, also 50mm +) will 'flatten' the image, draw the bokeh closer (thus 'bigger' in relation to the eye), and the DOF will drop off faster and it's narrower.

Not incorrect at all. You said "telephoto~" in response to a beginner's question. You told the new photographer that s/he was "looking for" a "telephoto~" lens. No mention of depth of field. No mention of aperture.

I was merely correcting wrong information. The new photographer is NOT "looking for" a "telephoto~" lens.

 

[FrankLamont]

Telephoto not necessary. Wide aperture for shallow depth of field is pretty much the main thing here.

Correct but also incorrect... it's not necessary, but it helps - a lot.

With a wide angle, the depth of field will gradually drop to unfocused, and also wider; whereas a telephoto (note I said 'telephoto~', meaning thereabouts, not necessarily a 200mm or even 100mm... relatively, ie, also 50mm +) will 'flatten' the image, draw the bokeh closer (thus 'bigger' in relation to the eye), and the DOF will drop off faster and it's narrower.

Not incorrect at all. You said "telephoto~" in response to a beginner's question. You told the new photographer that s/he was "looking for" a "telephoto~" lens. No mention of depth of field. No mention of aperture.

I was merely correcting wrong information. The new photographer is NOT "looking for" a "telephoto~" lens.

Admittedly, I didn't make it clear: I assumed that aperture and shutter speed, she already knew but still could not make it. It was incorrect to say that telephoto is necessary; strictly speaking, it's not, but it's very hard to get the type of bokeh pictured in her quoted post with a wide angle.

But relax, mate; it's Christmas Day - keep the spirits up!

 

[MrRamonG]

Got my wife a Coolpix.

 

[Turbo]

 

[Jon0807]

My daughter's first Christmas

 

[Craig G]

 

[Olympus E300]

Good photo but that sure is one creepy looking santa!! LoL.

Cheers!!
- Dan

 

[EdelineM]

aww thank you for the tips.. i will try mine soon

 

[thebeatles]

Does day after christmas bokeh count?