Aside from the razor-sharp subject, one of the most important elements of any close-up or macro picture is bokeh. It is a funny concept that has many interpretations and is definitely one of the more subjective elements of photography. I’m not going to debate those, but I want to talk a little bit about how the deliberate use of bokeh can help strengthen your images. Before I get going though, definitely listen to this mini-podcast from Martin Bailey on how to pronounce bokeh and its etymological history and cultural meaning.

In its simplest photographic definition bokeh refers to the out of focus areas of a picture. Mostly the meaning is applied to photographs where there is a specific subject in the immediate foreground. Not always a close up or macro, but not really a landscape either where some of the photo might not be in crisp focus. Bokeh is a product of shallow depth of field which is achieved by a wide aperture relative to the length of the lens.

One of the most dramatic uses of bokeh is to separate your subject from the background. Especially if the background is very busy. Rendering it smoothly out of focus makes things really pop –

Joyeuse by Kristen Smith

One of my favorite bokeh techniques is to echo the main subject exactly. Your imagination can easily fill in the missing detail because it resembles the sharp subject so much. The echo reinforces the main idea, but also gives your brain something to play with. The trick is to utilize an aperture that will simultaneously allow you to recognize the out of focus object and leave it fuzzy. I love this technique –

Vinca by Kristen Smith

I also love how bokeh can create atmosphere in a photo – mostly a gauzy, dreamy effect. It doesn’t work in all circumstances, but if you are working in the right light it is beautiful. With this kind of image, the subject most often is the bokeh itself with the sharply focused parts playing supporting roles only.

Birch by Kristen Smith

The digital age is a real help when experimenting with bokeh because you can see your shot immediately and use live view and depth of field preview to fine-tune each one. Get to know your lens by shooting objects at different apertures and focal lengths then studying the effect. Think about what kind of photo you want to make and how bokeh can emphasize your photo’s intent.

Got any good bokeh shots? Feel free to add them in comments or join the Photography.ca forum and start a thread.

For more of Kristen’s outdoor photography and other articles visit wickeddarkphotography.com

Strange as it may seem to some, I find cemeteries peaceful places and I enjoy spending time in them.  I also enjoy photographing them.  I’m mostly fascinated by the overall aesthetic of a cemetery, how the stones are placed, the ways they’ve shifted and changed over time, the carvings and motifs through the decades, decorative arrangements like walls and gates; it all fascinates me and I do my best to capture the essence of a graveyard whenever I shoot one.

Haunting the Obscure by Kristen Smith

There are some general guidelines you should follow when shooting burial grounds.  The first thing to remember is to be respectful.  These places represent lives and history and often sorrow.  If there are mourners or visitors present, give them space.  Don’t crash a ceremony.

Also don’t touch or move anything with respect to the graves themselves.  If one is damaged or fallen over, leave it.  Sometimes branches or other debris fall on monuments and I always leave those as well, unless it is photographically in the way.  I also avoid climbing over anything I don’t have to like walls or gates. And I never remove anything from a gravesite and I can’t imagine doing so.

Angle of Repose by Kristen Smith

My main interest is in old cemeteries.  Luckily in New England we have the oldest European cemeteries in the country and I’m never short of subjects.  Whatever your particular interest is, find ways to accentuate what you find interesting.  It might be particularly moving epitaphs, or artwork and common decorative motifs or maybe just finding stones of people with your name.  Personally I like to show the overall structure and character of a cemetery as well as highlight some of the oldest or most interesting headstones.  Decaying stones are always terrific subjects; lichen, cracks, weathering and even outright destruction can make for really interesting images.

Harriet Obscured by Kristen Smith

I will admit that after years of shooting in cemeteries it does get tougher to come up with original compositions.  Sometimes approaching a grave yard in a different season helps, like winter.  Sometimes it means getting there at a certain time of day so that carvings are brought up strongly with shadows. Sometimes it means finding unusual perspectives and including other things like walls and gates in my compositions.  Frequently I use different post-processing techniques to bring out what I want in a photo.  This doesn’t always mean black and white or sepia, but I do use them since they especially suit the older burial grounds I haunt.

Keeping Watch by Kristen Smith

So don’t be afraid to step into that cemetery near your house.  Explore it respectfully, photograph it creatively and walk away with a sense of history.

Kristen Smith is a New England photographer whose cemetery work can be found in her Graven Images Gallery