To do this, I made a "shaped bokeh filter" from a piece of black construction paper. I cut out a heart about the size of my pinky-fingernail from the construction paper. I got out the Christmas lights, strung them up on a doorknob. Then I cut a white heart from a piece of paper and taped that on to the end of my broom (you can see that a little in the picture if you look). I propped the broom up in front of the camera and focused on the white heart. Then, I slid the "bokeh filter" over the lens and steadied it with a hair scrunchie slid over the lens. I turned out the lights in my bedroom and I could see the bokeh just fine, but the white heart was too dark. I grabbed a flashlight and held it on the heart so that it showed up and used my shutter release cable to snap the pic.
That doesn't sound too hard, but it actually took me quite a few tries. At first, I was having the kids try to hold the heart up, but as normal humans do, they couldn't hold it still enough to avoid camera blur. Also, trying to slip my home-made bokeh filter on, sometimes I would adjust the focus and have to start again. I know they sell them where they snap on the end of a lens like a normal filter does, but I don't have those yet. I think I might want to get some because I do like shaped bokeh now and then.
Anyway, the shot is OK, interesting but not exactly what I wanted. I'll keep playing and try to get some interesting shots with this.
EXIF info: f 2.8, 1/10 sec, macro lens, no flash.
Wow, I really wish I knew what you were talking about here. I love the pic though, it looks like something you'd see on TV when they're "fading" into a romantic scene. I have a heart shaped cutter if you'd like to borrow it.
ReplyDeletePMB
Cool! I saw an idea for homemade bokeh filters on photojojo and wanted to try it. I just never got around to it. Now if I try it I can call you for tips. :)
ReplyDeletehow far away were the lights from the broom?
P- bokeh is the "blurry" part of the picture, the lights in the background, etc.
ReplyDeleteM- The lights were about 4 feet in back of the heart on the broom.