52 Wednesdays :: Bokeh

Week 3!

This week my 52 Wednesdays project was assigned a bokeh theme.  

Bokeh- photographer terminology for the {intentionally} out-of-focus space in a photograph.  However, I also think of the dreamy orbs of light captured in that out-of-focus space.  The quality of bokeh is determined 1) by the lens; 2) by the settings on the camera; and 3) by the quality of light.  But circles of light can be captured in a photograph through any light source, including artificial (i.e., twinkle lights) and/or any reflective object as well (i.e. glitter, reflective water, light hitting leaves, etc.).

I'm a big fan of bokeh and most of my images have a good amount of it generally.  I like the buttery smooth kind, the round dreamy light kind, and even the artificial kind.  Here is an example featuring circles of light.

Grey gloom (current state of affairs in the Pacific Northwest) does not produce lovely, dreamy bokeh.  So in an effort to not use a past image, I decided to do something very out of the box.  Well, for me anyway.

This week, I am using super-artificial bokeh in my image.  I added orbs of light in my post processing and created a more art type piece.

Here is my original image, which technically abounds in bokeh already:

Garlic with a smooth creamy background, but no orbs of light.

Final Image:

What I love most about it, is that I've never done anything like it.  I rarely use textures or overlays in my work and I also love that my interpretation of the assignment is creative; and the really wonderful part is--I actually like it! =)  

I'm really looking forward to seeing what the other women in my group have come up with this week!  Next up is Rachel Ice:

Rachael Ice - Louisville, KY Photographer - http://imagesbyrachael.com/blog/?p=354