Bokeh is highly overated.

[Mike Wingate]

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I search high and low for opportunities to take photos with Bokeh Balls. Rydal Mount. Lake District. Felt Art Trail.

 

[fader]

I didn't watch the whole thing, but I would like to point out that he picked "non photography" people for his opinions, which may not be a useful demographic for any actual artistic merit.

Look at the way people react to poetry, as an example. Someone with no understanding of the artform may judge a poem to be "good" based almost exclusively on how consistent the rhymes are. Of course, consistent rhyming isn't even a metric of what makes a poem artistic. Just an example - results from a poorly chosen demographic may render any and all conclusions useless.

Also, this is the same reasons why poetry and post modern art sucks.

 

[fader]

The shallow DoF fashion is just a way for incompetent photographers to claim superiority over images taken by photographers using a mobile phone, compact, or APSC with a kit lens. If they drop a enough cash on fast glass and shoot wide open all the time they can convince others that they’re “pro”.

Secondly, Instagram and Flickr fueled this fire for using shallow DoF and ridiculously saturated images as tools to stand out and win a coveted place on the discovery page.

 

[agentlossing]

Also, this is the same reasons why poetry and post modern art sucks.

Poetry doesn't suck :0

 

[fader]

Poetry doesn't suck :0

there's Rothko, under the bus! LOL

 

[agentlossing]

My favorite poet would be the late Seamus Heaney, and I only regret being a day too late to see him at a free speaking engagement at a college in SoCal years ago.

 

[ralf-11]

I prefer pre-postmodern art

 

[Bob in Pittsburgh]

Try convincing your friends that a photo with everything out of focus was the result of artistic choices.

 

[tkbslc]

The shallow DoF fashion is just a way for incompetent photographers to claim superiority over images taken by photographers using a mobile phone, compact, or APSC with a kit lens. If they drop a enough cash on fast glass and shoot wide open all the time they can convince others that they’re “pro”.

Deep DOF = pro?

 

[fader]

Deep DOF = pro?

Pro = F8 and be there

 

[tkbslc]

Pro = F8 and be there

Wasn't that saying from the medium format days? F/8 on 6x7 film is like f/2 on m4/3.

F/8 bokeh weenies unite!

 

[Will Focus]

To paraphrase an old saying, “When you’ve spent a lot of money on a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”

I have to use this.
Where do I send the check?

 

[AussiePhil]

If i quoted you the following information could you guess the Aperture and even lens? You have the focal distance (sort of) and DOF

Depth Of Field : 0.07 m (4.40 - 4.48 m)

Bokeh is really about the quality of the out of focus areas rather than thin dof anyway

 

[ralf-11]

Wasn't that saying from the medium format days? F/8 on 6x7 film is like f/2 on m4/3.

F/8 bokeh weenies unite!

Yes, Weegie used a MF Speed Graphic - 1940-?? - maybe the mini one(?)

The idea(s) are:
1. the moment is critical, not so much the equipment
2. f64 is like so over, man (approximate paraphrase of Mr. Fellig)

- was he a pro? Pro just means you get paid

 

[speedy]

The shallow DoF fashion is just a way for incompetent photographers to claim superiority over images taken by photographers using a mobile phone, compact, or APSC with a kit lens. If they drop a enough cash on fast glass and shoot wide open all the time they can convince others that they’re “pro”.

Really? My budget FF cam & cheapo plastic primes cost way less than my m4/3 kit. When you shoot in lower light, and open up the aperture, it's simply a natural consequence of using the larger format.
That's a pretty narrow view you've taken there I think.

 

[agentlossing]

Really? My budget FF cam & cheapo plastic primes cost way less than my m4/3 kit. When you shoot in lower light, and open up the aperture, it's simply a natural consequence of using the larger format.
That's a pretty narrow view you've taken there I think.

You have to remember there didn't use to be such a thing as a budget FF camera, unless you meant film. The market has responded to the demand for large sensors by less specialized consumers, so I think that goes to prove fader's point more than your counterpoint.

 

[speedy]

You have to remember there didn't use to be such a thing as a budget FF camera, unless you meant film.

Except that he specifically mentioned "fashion" which suggests a current trend. Not ancient times Personally, I could care less. I sold my FF camera, and moved to m4/3. Not because m4/3 is cheaper, but I can achieve pretty close to what I could DOF wise, & lower light, & better it with reach, with a lighter kit. And I'm saying that as an Elephantine G9 owner
Shoot however, & whatever makes you happy.

 

[speedy]

Here, have some gratuitous, trendy, daylight thin DOF

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Edit -I must take my Siggy 56 up there some time, & see how it compares. Yeah, FOV & compression will be different, curious to see though

 

[KBeezie]

Like with every other context there's such a thing as overdoing it, and not everyone is making it in camera. Sort of like my phone's "selfie" focus tries to draw more attention to my face by blurring everything outside the detected radius, but I found its degree of blur to be too extreme.

Plus there's bokeh shape, bokeh contrast/saturation, and what exactly is being softened in the background... And does it even work with the selected subject in the pictures?

Half the time I feel like it's an easy way to escape having to make sure you didn't put a telephone pole sticking out of the subjects head when it's too blurred to be noticed.

I like the idea of bokeh, I just don't think it needs to be completely abstract in every shot. Some styles are just more suited to it or comes naturally with the territory (ie city/street night shots). But in the end, it's not much use if it doesn't work with your subjects/foreground.

PS I would still love to get an Olympus 25/1.2 one day, but not just because of the background it creates ( I can already do that with my Pentax-M 50/1.4 on a focual reducer giving it a visual equivalent to f/1.0 light gathering), but half that is because GAS.

 

[AussiePhil]

Bokeh is NOT over rated
The stupid thin DOF craze is over rated but that is NOT Bokeh...

In photography, bokeh is the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image produced by a lens. Bokeh has been defined as "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light".Wikipedia

the Sigma 56 F1.4 can be really nice

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X4300236 by Phil Gartner, on Flickr

The 40-150Pro can get very nervous, don't have a photo handy.

The Samyang 85mm wide open can be interesting

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_EM00551 by Phil Gartner, on Flickr

it can also get stupidly thin dof as well even if a bit soft

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Santas Train 2 by Phil Gartner, on Flickr