Bokeh - when did that word become so popular?

[Marko]

Got a question for all you photogs especially the ones who have been shooting a while.

Bokeh - when did that word become so popular?

Definition (my) for this word for those that may not know - Bokeh (selective focus using a larger aperture to create out of focus blurry zones. Those zones are often characterized by circular or multi-sided out of focus light sources). Wikipedia definition here

But the definition is not the point of this question.

Is it just me? or has the photography community as a whole JUST started (7-8 years max) using this word that has been around forever?

I've been shooting for about 20...went to photo school in early nineties where I never heard the word once. Not even from top artsy profs. Mind you it wasn't the artsiest program but you'd think someone would have mentioned it. I knew what the word was from reading, but it was never part of the modern vernacular in my extended "circle".

So my long-winded question lol, is it just me? Or have some of you artier photo-beasts been using this word forever? What's your on the word?

[Iguanasan]

It's not just you. It used to be a term I've heard discussed as part of photography like aperture, f-stop, etc. but in the last several year (7-8 might be right) it seems to have taken on a life of it's own and I've even heard it used as a verb. Not sure what started it all.

[thoughton]

The Wikipedia article says it was popularised in 1997 by Mike Johnston editor of Photo Techniques. This is the same Mike Johnston who now writes The Online Photographer, a.k.a. TOP (if you've never read TOP I highly recommend it, it is my one and only daily "must-read" photography site). So perhaps the popularity of TOP has something to do with it. (Although to be honest, TOP doesn't really concern itself with the technical details such as bokeh).

[Wicked Dark]

I heard and started using the term in the late 80s when I was evaluating macro lenses, but I didn't hear it outside of those circles. I think it's a trend like any other that come and go in language; especially language associated with a particular pastime or pursuit. The etymology and true pronunciation were really interesting for me.

[Hillbillygirl]

Sorry to say, but Wikipedia has the whole meaning totally wrong. The term is derived from the Japanese word Bokeh-aji, which means "The flavour of the out of focus", or Quality of out of focus/blur.
To me it has always been, and will always be about the actual quality of background blur, not just calling anything blurry bokeh. When I say "beautiful bokeh" in my comments I always mean that it is very pleasing to the eye and of very high quality. To get a good shot with nice creamy bokeh is an art form in itself. (even though I have seen many with "fake" bokeh also).
BTW, I have been using this term for many, many years now. For myself, I don't see it being used any more than in the past, but i do see it being used wrongly, as in the Wikipedia type definition.

[Andrew]

The overabundance of references to Bokeh grew during the huge wave of new people into the world of photography due to the relatively low expense and high quality of a zillion P&S cameras from every manufacturer you could name. All of a sudden anyone could take a great photo and best of all was there was no waiting. Gone were the days of getting your film to the local drugstore then waiting a week just to find out only 3 of your 24 shots were worth keeping. Instead of 24 with film you could now take 100 with digital, still only get 3 good ones though, but you could look at them and share them immediately. And for free! To a computer savvy generation you can send the good ones to friends far and wide or load them onto a social network as just another conversation piece. Put a DSLR on full auto and you still have a P&S, just one with more accessories. Convinced they were now budding NG photographers some also evolved from the friend networks, to related forums, then to the many sites where photos can be easily stored and displayed for a very low cost. And all this with just a little bit of cash. No need to understand how that little shiny box in your hand actually worked and certainly no related formal training.

The majority of the users may not know technology but they know what they liked. There were some photos that stood out especially well because other things in the picture besides their subject were blurry. Hmmm, how did that happen? Search the internet for answers. f-what? Depth of where? Circle of how? Instead of all gobbled gook that can’t I just call it something that sounds more technical than “blurry sides”? Bokehhhhhhhhhhh. New word that makes me sound techy. OK, let’s go with that. In the generation of P&S photographers most know what Bokeh is but not many have a handle on DOF. I put most of the blame on the dude from DIGITALREVIEW.COM. Funny little guy and uses the term quite often.

[thoughton]

I think Wikipedia has most of it right, actually:

The term comes from the Japanese word boke (暈け or ボケ), which means "blur" or "haze", or boke-aji (ボケ味), the "blur quality".

[Hillbillygirl]

I think Wikipedia has most of it right, actually:

Bokeh (selective focus using a larger aperture to create out of focus blurry zones. Those zones are often characterized by circular or multi-sided out of focus light sources). Wikipedia definition here.

As Andrew also stated, too many people do not understand the difference. Bokeh is the "Quality" of the out of focus/blurred part of photo, NOT the actual use of aperture to create focal zone-This is called "Depth of Field". The reason an "h" was applied was to Americanize it and shorten the word boke-aji, and still discern it from the word "boke" which in turn only means blur or haze.
BUT, as Markus said, the definition is not part of the question here, but I just see way too many people using the term wrongly, but then again the internet does not help this matter.
I guess I should rephrase what I said about use of the term. I see way more people using it on internet, but about the same amongst photographers in person.

[Wicked Dark]

Martin Bailey does a great job of explaining what its etymology and photography usage means here. Oh and handy pronunciation, too. Martin Bailey Photography - Podcast Episode 181 : Bokeh! Pronunciation, Meaning and Practical Use

[Andrew]

That's a funny podcast. Martin Bailey with such a strong British accent trying to tell others how to pronounce words. He should work on his first language. Whether it's Japan, the UK, US or Canada, there are regions of of every nation where accents and emphasis change the sound of many words. Between English speaking nations, entire meanings can vary. It doesn't matter as long as the meaning gets across and we acknowledge our differences. I think I'll just go back to "fuzzy".