Bouquet of bokeh

The Japanese word bokeh is defined as “the visual quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image, especially as rendered by a particular lens”.

It truly comes to life when you play with light. The December nights in London start early and last a long time. In the urban area of Shepherds Bush, the darkness is punctuated by streams of traffic, street lights – and twinkling Christmas decorations.

I prowled the streets with my macro lens, fooled into focusing on nearby surfaces to attain abstraction and capture a stream of bokeh on a winter’s evening.

Click first image to view this selection

Tags: art, bokeh, Christmas, coloured light, glitter, London, macro lens, night shots, photography, Shepherds Bush, traffic, winter's night

38 thoughts on “Bouquet of bokeh”

John on January 1, 2015 at 05:38 said:

Really great shots! Night time bokeh is like seeing the world in a whole new way. Seeing the beauty in the lights …

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- mikeosbornphoto on January 1, 2015 at 12:26 said:
  
  Thanks John, I’m glad you can see the magic of a dark winter night here in urban west London. A happy new year from over here – your comments and visits are always much appreciated.
  
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ckponderings on December 8, 2014 at 06:30 said:

A great interpretation of the bulk-standard Christmas fayre. :)

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- mikeosbornphoto on December 11, 2014 at 13:46 said:
  
  Thanks Richard. I was hardly thinking of the season of goodwill… but it’s there somewhere!
  
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  - ckponderings on December 11, 2014 at 20:17 said:
    
    Haha! :)
    
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    - ckponderings on December 13, 2014 at 14:21 said:
      
      By the way… There may be something quite similar in CK Ponderings soon… Rest assured, though, the photos were taken before your post, but I’m still whiling away the Croatian hours! :D
      
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      - mikeosbornphoto on December 13, 2014 at 14:49 said:
        
        Oh I say! I look forward to seeing them :)
        
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leecleland on December 7, 2014 at 20:37 said:

Great set of images, Mike. Love, love bokeh and these are beautiful. I tried some bokeh shots in Marakesh (just name dropping) but all the market stalls were at the one level with very few other lights around, so nothing as stunning as yours. By the way I really enjoy the little slide shows you put up (if that’s what they’re called) yours is one of the few blogs I always look through all the images :)

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- mikeosbornphoto on December 7, 2014 at 20:56 said:
  
  Thanks so much Lee, I’m glad you’re a fan of bokeh too. It’s the first time I’ve devoted an entire session to it. It somehow makes the dank London night look enthralling. Great news you like the galleries – they’re there to be clicked through. Only trouble is they’re not so good on mobile devices.
  
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  - leecleland on December 7, 2014 at 21:06 said:
    
    Ha, I don’t do mobile stuff my phone is just for that – a phone. Though I can see the point in having one as a second camera if something dreadful happened while you were O/S to your main camera . . . . . . maybe I should have another think!!!!
    
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    - mikeosbornphoto on December 7, 2014 at 22:39 said:
      
      My phone camera only serves as a low-grade snapper, although many photographers make it work for them! I don’t feel quite right without an actual camera.
      
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      - leecleland on December 8, 2014 at 08:33 said:
        
        Neither do I, something to do with the feel or weight of it and of course the lovely click. Can you tell I’m in love with my camera? :)
        
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        mikeosbornphoto on December 11, 2014 at 13:47 said:
        
        It’s a noble form of romance, Lee! And a camera doesn’t answer back… hmmm, or does it?!
        
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        leecleland on December 13, 2014 at 01:55 said:
        
        Camera doesn’t answer back? Oh dear, mine does well occasionally :) Got some pink images in Morocco, that was interesting – maybe overuse?
        
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        mikeosbornphoto on December 13, 2014 at 09:26 said:
        
        Pink photos? Hmmmm. The light in Morocco certainly can play tricks. Mine refused to work after a trip to the Sahara – you forget the places all that dust gets to.
        
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        leecleland on December 14, 2014 at 02:53 said:
        
        I actually think it was roaring past things I wanted to photograph at 60-100kph in Morocco and the camera not being able to focus properly and me forcing it to take the shot. Got about 6 in all over a few weeks and by the time I took the last one I worked out that is probably what it was. Camera still works really well (thank goodness) and no more since I got home. Still getting sand out of the tripod where it fell off a camel . . but that’s another story :)
        
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        mikeosbornphoto on December 14, 2014 at 10:11 said:
        
        I expect your camera was a little bamboozled by all the sights of Morocco, which are too many to mention. Ah, camels. I got surprisingly attached to mine but wasn’t too keen when it legged it down steep dunes!
        
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        leecleland on December 15, 2014 at 07:59 said:
        
        Down the dunes – isn’t that the worst sensation of all? I’d be comfortably taking shots and then slide, clump we’d be going down an incline and I’d have to grab for the saddle horn. Very inconsiderate not to let me know !!!!!! But you are right so much to see.
        
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Laura Bloomsbury on December 7, 2014 at 20:13 said:

Brilliant in every sense Mike – and inspirational. Love the ‘wait at the crossing’

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- mikeosbornphoto on December 7, 2014 at 20:16 said:
  
  Thank you Laura, I’m pleased that you like them. It was worth the cold and leaning against lamp posts. I agree, the crossing photo is the most serious and artful, if you will.
  
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danitacahill on December 7, 2014 at 20:11 said:

Fun! I like it. Shared it to my facebook wall. My favorites are the first, third and last frames.

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- mikeosbornphoto on December 7, 2014 at 20:14 said:
  
  Many thanks for sharing, Danita. I enjoyed doing it and another couple snuck into a photo walk in the forest yesterday… very satisfying to catch some :)
  
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Mark Simms on December 7, 2014 at 17:19 said:

Beautiful and unintentionally festive.

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- mikeosbornphoto on December 7, 2014 at 17:22 said:
  
  Thank you Mark. The first shot is unashamedly Christmassy – it’s tree lights! Plenty of seasonal colours, it’s true.
  
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lauramacky on December 7, 2014 at 14:52 said:

Well done on the bokeh! I love them.

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- mikeosbornphoto on December 7, 2014 at 15:20 said:
  
  Thanks Laura, glad you like them. They can be trickier to catch when that’s what you set out to do.
  
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  - lauramacky on December 7, 2014 at 15:24 said:
    
    You’re welcome Mike. I’ve not done the nighttime ones, but I have done morning into the light. I’d like to try them at night though. They are so beautiful.
    
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    - mikeosbornphoto on December 7, 2014 at 15:29 said:
      
      They’re difficult to repeat so it’s like they have their own fingerprint. Night ones aren’t so difficult in urban settings.
      
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      - lauramacky on December 7, 2014 at 15:32 said:
        
        I was thinking I’d head on downtown to do them. Thank you Mike for the tips.
        
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        mikeosbornphoto on December 7, 2014 at 15:35 said:
        
        I look forward to seeing them!
        
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Tim Girarde on December 7, 2014 at 11:56 said:

Beautiful abstractions Mike, they just pop! Shepherds Bush is a wonderful mix of humanity, and now you’ve given it Christmas Baubles!

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- mikeosbornphoto on December 7, 2014 at 13:06 said:
  
  Thanks kindly, Tim! Yes, “wonderful mix of humanity” is one way of describing it, although they’re skulking in the darkness in this set.
  
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bananabatman on December 7, 2014 at 10:01 said:

This is a good set. Artistic value aside, it’s fun to try to guess what the lights are. We will be putting the Christmas Tree up soon, so look out! :)

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- mikeosbornphoto on December 7, 2014 at 10:24 said:
  
  Thanks Dave. They’re all the delights of Shepherds Bush (of which there are very many). Are you going to bokeh your Christmas tree? Not sure if that’s a verb, by the way!
  
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  - bananabatman on December 7, 2014 at 10:26 said:
    
    I have done in previous years Mike. I may look for some new possibilities. Need to get it up first! :)
    
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    - mikeosbornphoto on December 7, 2014 at 10:28 said:
      
      I don’t have a tree so have to photographically steal other people’s. Or leave it to pass.
      
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Cos on December 7, 2014 at 09:28 said:

I love the coloured ones! They’re very Christmas-ish ;-)

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- mikeosbornphoto on December 7, 2014 at 09:59 said:
  
  I’m a Scrooge when it comes to Christmas, but even I admit to liking them :)
  
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