Create fun shallow depth-of-field bokeh effects with Dan Mold as he shows you how with this simple budget-friendly lens photo project
PRO TIP
While the shape of your bokeh is dependant on how many aperture blades your lens has, if you shoot wide open, the aperture blades move out of the way and the cylindrical shape of the lens barrel then becomes the aperture, which means circular bokeh can be achieved with any lens shot wide open.
B okeh is the Japanese word we use to describe aesthetically pleasing out-of-focus highlights that give your images a cinematic quality.
Bokeh takes the form of your aperture; Canon’s budget EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens is known for its pentagonal-shaped bokeh due to its five-bladed aperture. But bokeh usually has a more circular appearance, with the aperture being made up of a higher number of rounded aperture blades.
A 50mm prime lens is ideal for this technique because these optics usually have super-wide apertures of f/1.8 or even wider – this makes it easier to blur the background with a shallow depth of field to exaggerate the effect.
While some 50mm lenses can be pricey, luckily they’re also some of the most affordable optics on the market, too. Canon’s EF 50mm f/1.8 STM costs £129 and the RF 50mm F1.8 STM costs £199, so it’s no surprise that these nifty fifty optics are usually the first lenses that beginners upgrade to after a kit lens
