Bokeh photography with point and shoot cameras

Normal digital cameras (other than professional) are meant for personal photography where there is little room for creativity.  The camera shoots whatever comes into its focus that is seen/displayed through the LCD display as such.  In the normal course, if an object is placed in a fair distance and its close up photo is taken, the background shall also be visible.  But if the same picture is captured with the help of a professional camera, its background can be easily made blurred.  By making the background blurred, the attention is drawn to the subject in photo and background shall become soft.  Even if the background where the picture was taken didn’t have aesthetic sense, since it is never focused, the picture shall look beautiful.  Such photos are believed to be the monopoly of professional cameras but how many of us know that even our handy personal cameras are capable of capturing bokeh photos. In fact many of us are unknowingly taking bokeh photos, but we never knew how it came and are ignorant to make it intentionally.

First and Best method

The first and foremost requirement for a bokeh is set an aperture value as low as possible. Anything less than f5.0 will make a bokeh image theoretically. Make the camera into manual mode, set the aperture value as low as possible, the shutter speed at the maximum, and ISO and 100+.  Depending on the light available, the shutter speed should be decreased.  You’ll reach an optimum point where your shutter speed is in perfect match with the aperture value and ISO.     

Take the example of this photo.

Aperture value is f4.4 Shutter speed 1/10 second and ISO 125.  The photo is a bit over exposed, and shutter speed is increased to 1/100 seconds.  Now the background is in dark, picture is sharp. 

Second method

We can use the pre-set option sports and then take the photo.  In most cases the f value, ISO and shutter speed are automatically set by the camera in such a manner that bokeh images emerge.

Third method

Use the option ISO, enable close focus, and then shoot the subject either at close range or at a distance using the full optical zoom available in your camera.  In fact even with auto mode, when the full optical zoom is utilized the background will automatically blur.  If space is never a constraint and you can move backward, the easiest way is to go the maximum distance, use its zoom fully and then focus and shoot the subject. The bokeh shall automatically emerge.

See these photos with pre-set options, where f value, and shutter speed were known to me only after taking the photos.  But practically the camera did exactly the same thing which a professional photographer does to get this effect.

F value 3.5  shutter speed 1/500 sec ISO 125 (close photo)

F value 3.5  shutter speed 1/250 sec ISO 125 (close photo)

F value 3.5  shutter speed 1/400 sec ISO 125 (close photo)

Now some photos taken unintentionally at auto mode.  These pictures were taken at Silent Valley national park, where there was no approach to go in vicinity to the subject.  The maximum zoom was used in auto mode, still the background got blurred a bit.  

F value 4.4  shutter speed 1/400 sec ISO 125 (maximum zoom) – Auto mode

F value 4.0  shutter speed 1/125 sec ISO 125 (maximum zoom) – Auto mode

But the blur in the background is not so good, still it shown as an example of accidental bokeh in auto mode.

To sum up the professional does this intentionally where the amateur makes it unknowingly.  I am not comparing a Maruti 800 car with a Benz/BMW.  Both are entirely different. Still there is nothing wrong in utilising the small car to its maximum possibility! But you cannot rule out that personal cameras are never meant for making bokeh.