At this time of the year when the days in my part of the world are so very short, I’m grateful for the holiday lights. I tend to put my tree up as early as is considered decent and I’m always thrilled when the city lights up each year for Christmas Lights Across Canada.
The first holiday season after I got my DSLR I became a little obsessed with capturing Christmas light bokeh. Everyone loves a bit of bokeh, right? After having seen it in others’ photos, I remember googling it and then experimenting with my own tree. This year, after seeing so many great light bokeh photos on Instagram and in the Mobile Monday Flickr pool, I decided to experiment again, this time using my iPhone.
A quick googling let me know that there are pretty much three ways to get light bokeh with an iPhone: app, macro lens, and what I call “fast fingers”.
For the “fast fingers” method, you take advantage of the split second that the iPhone takes to focus and shoot before it locks in. Alternatively, you can lock the camera’s focus on something in the foreground. If the foreground item is far enough away from the lights, it should produce the bokeh. I must admit that while I’ve given this method a go a few times, I have yet to produce results that I’m happy with.
While I work on my finger speed I turned to the app store for some help. There are a number of apps out there that will help you create bokeh in your photos. There are simple apps available, like RealBokeh, that allow you to “draw” a bokeh effect on your photo, like this:
For the photo above I took a dark background shot (with my hand over the lens) and then chose my bokeh colours, size and shape in the app. After that I just traced across the screen with my finger to bring the bokeh out. Not terribly sophisticated but I don’t mind it. (RealBoke app — FREE)
For more sophistication there are apps like Big Lens. Big Lens has a camera in-app or lets you import a photo from your camera roll. It then lets you set the area of focus in the shot, pick the aperture, focus level, lens shape and even offers a few filters. The shot below is one that I processed first in VSCOCam then ran through Big Lens.
I don’t have a macro lens for my iPhone (Hi Santa, are you listening?!) but from what I understand, they make getting bokeh a cinch. Here’s one that Lindsey took with her Olloclip macro lens.
Looking through the Mobile Monday Flickr pool it seems that I’m not the only lover of light bokeh. I’m not sure how these photographers got the effect, but I know they’ve done it gorgeously.
By jordan parks
By katlighnter
Please keep sharing your light bokeh photos as we CELEBRATE together all month on Instagram and in the Mortal Muses Flickr pools. And if you nail the fast fingers trick feel free to pass along tips in the comments!
Speaking of the comments, commenting on Mortal Muses posts this week will give you a chance to win. Some of my fellow muses have already announced their giveaways: Meghan is giving away some expired film, Holly is offering a place in Tammy Strobel’s Everyday Magic e-course, Lindsey has some wonderful iPhoneography gadgets for you, and Kirstin and Justine each have fantastic books to give away. Wow!
Today it’s my turn. My giveaway is somewhat off topic for this post but nonetheless close to my heart. By leaving a comment on this post you are entered to win a box of the new Impossible Project PX680 Gold Edition. Last year’s gold frame film was one of my favourite Impossible films yet and I’m sure that the new edition, complete with Color Protection, is just as great. We’ll announce all the winners on December 25th.
And if you’re interested in tips on shooting your Gold Edition or other instant film in winter weather, I’ll be talking about that on Film Friday December 28th.
Wishing you the happiest of holidays.
Debra ~ Manifeisty
Oh! Thanks so much for including my shot. Fairy light bikes has got to be one if the best parts of the holidays! This was shot with the Olloclip macro lens. Love it!
Holiday BOKEH even. Though bikes are also quite cool.
Love what you are all doing with your phone cameras, sadly I’m still stuck in the dark ages with a phone that makes calls!!!
However I have just acquired from my uncle a Polaroid camera and cannot wait to give it a go……..just need some film.
an interesting wrap-up of bokeh possibilities – thank you, Debra!
this is gorgeous Debra!!! i love all the holiday bokeh and i always appreciate some good tips on capturing it — i do love “big lens” it’s a really cool app that i just don’t use enough — you know what i am doing when i get home to my tree tonight!!! and oh how lovely that film sounds!!!!
Thank you so much for the app recommendation! The app I have been using is Bokehful but I like how Real Bokeh works better. And it’s free! Awesome.
I love capturing holiday bokeh with my DSLR. With the iphone it’s more of a challenge, sometimes you have to “cheat”.
Your Christmas tree makes me happy. Would so love to win a pack of IP film! I have had to cut back on my instant film consumptoin, and I’m missing it desperately.
Thank you, Debra, for using my shot. I was able to achieve the bokeh effect on a tree with twinkle lights at a local mall by using “fast fingers”. Using the iPhone camera for composing the image, I touched the screen in a dark area, trying to trick the lens into focusing there, which made the lights go out of focus, then at that moment taking the shot. I haven’t been able to achieve the bokeh effect like this very often so I’ll use either a macro cell phone lens or Picfx App.
my fingers just aren’t fast enough!! great shots
I am going to have to give BigLens a try. Love your image. And practice fast fingers too. And I’ll be sure to let the big guy know that I think if anyone, YOU deserve an olloclip this Christmas! xoxo
i’ve been playing with apps and my olloclip for this, so much fun! 🙂
Perfect time for your bokeh post! I had tried unsuccessfully a few days ago to achieve this with my iPhone. Thanks! The film would be cool to have!
Great tips! You cant go wrong with Christmas light bokeh. I’ll be attempting the “fast finger” method. 🙂
Great tips! I am obsessed with iPhone bokeh;) And thanks for another great giveaway!
Thanks for this! I’ve been drooling over everyone’s bokeh trees.
Just posted a fast fingers bokeh shot to the Instagram pool! It’s easier in the dark and I also found if you have someone walk in front of the shot it takes longer for it to refocus:) thank to my four year old, Luke, for that tip!
I do adore my Christmas bokeh. I’ve never successfully done the fast-fingered approach with my iphone so the olloclip has been able to duplicate one of my favourites from my DSLR. Great post, Debra!
Been wondering how to do this! hope to get a chance to play!
These sure make you want to get out there and start shooting some lights. Great info here, thank you!
blimey, aren’t they all adorable !
Such great iPhone bokeh techniques.