Bokeh comes from the Japanese word ‘boke’ (ボケ), which means “blur” or “haze”. Bokeh is also defined as “the effect of a soft out-of-focus background that you get when shooting a subject, using a fast lens, at the widest aperture, such as f/2.8 or wider.”

Simply put, bokeh is the pleasing or aesthetic aspect of the blur in a photograph.

Bokeh can add softness to an otherwise brightly lit photograph. Using this technique to separate your subject from the background can also allow you to utilize a not-so-photogenic background in your image (but because of its diffused blur, it helps to “highlight” the subject, not detract from it).

Experimenting with Bokeh: