Day 7 / 365

Bokeh is the blur in the out-of-focus area of an image, thus bokeh occurs in the area of the image that lies outside of the depth of field. The shape of the bokeh is determined by the shape of the aperture ring, which in my case is round. When I first stumbled upon the technique of bokeh, I went back into my older photos and noticed that some photos did have nice bokeh, but it's not something I ever consciously tried to create in an image. Clever use of bokeh can create some immensely creative images, and at the least it can add some interesting background effects when applying a shallow depth of field.

Usually, aperture rings are round. One can purchase lenses that are specifically designed for creating bokeh effects that have an interchangeable aperture, which is of different shapes. The aperture ring is what opens and closes to let in more or less light for exposure of the image. A wide open aperture lets in the most light but also creates the most shallow depth-of-field (often used in macro and portrait photography), while in landscape photography one usually uses an aperture setting of f/11.0 or lower to obtain sharp detail throughout the entire image. To get back to the shape of the aperture ring - the shape of the bokeh is the shape of the aperture opening. So if you have a heart shaped aperture opening, the bokeh will be heart shaped. In other words, the bokeh can take on any shape as long as you can dream it up and create yourself a lens attachment for it. Supposedly one can even create a card-board cutout and attach it to the front of the lens (large enough to not restrict the field of view of the lens) as a means of changing the shape of the bokeh. I have not yet tried this out myself, but it's something I will definitely do sometime soon.

What I noticed when I took the shot below is that creating bokeh can be harder than you would imagine - it is not just an accidental effect or even one that shows up anytime you use a shallow depth of field. Through trial and error I found that out-of-focus bright light reflections create great bokeh, such as that of direct sunlight on moving water or leafs slightly blowing in the wind. In fact, bokeh is better during the day when the sun is high, providing a technique which to employ outside of the golden hours of photography.

For my first intentional use of bokeh I am quite pleased with the result. However, what I would critique on this shot is the loss of bokeh toward the top left of the image and the lack of bokeh along the bottom of the image. The way this flower was situated, I was not able to create perfect bokeh all throughout the background range, but I think it is a good start.

I am not quite sure what the deal was with the bumble bee. It was moving only slightly, so I am not certain whether it was intently sucking nectar or got stuck in the bulb. In either case, it made a perfectly still subject, which I have found in the past nearly never happens with bumble bees.

1/125s @ f/10.0 ISO 200

Day 6 / 365

Last night, I took a flight to Kelowna to spend the week camping in BC with my sister's family (who is visiting from Germany) and my parents. As I browse through the photos I took today, I realize that this week the challenge will not be to take a photo every day, but to choose just a SINGLE image to post to my blog.

The reason I chose this shot is for its creative value - if I may be so bold to call myself creative! The bumper on the camper my sister and her husband rented was so big and shiny, it reflected the surroundings quite well. My brother-in-law made fun of my fascination with a car bumper, but I think the result was worth all the teasing.

1/125s @ f/5.6 ISO 200

Ok the rest of the updating of the blog will have to wait until later.

Day 5 / 365

As it turns out, even the most dreary looking clouds and a little hail storm are worse than it seems. With a bit of luck, the only sun hole all around will follow you and a very nice hike can be enjoyed against all odds. This is a photo of the Elbow River Falls, just west of Bragg Creek. It's a great place to hike along the river valley and enjoy the scenic twists and turns of the Elbow. There are also several Day Use Areas along the valley, which are a great place to have a picnick at and relax on a hot day.

1/320s @ f/16 ISO 500

Day 4 / 365

I have these small hanging pots as wall decoration in my apartment. I took a quick shot of a section of them before heading out with friends.

1/60s @ f/4.2 ISO 500

Day 3 / 365

This is the Lougheed House in Calgary's beltline district. "Lougheed House, also known as Beaulieu, was home to Senator James Alexander Lougheed, Lady Isabella Hardisty Lougheed, their six children and staff. This grand sandstone prairie mansion was built in 1891 and enlarged in 1907; the impressive scale and the high quality of the design, materials and interior furnishings of the house reflected the wealth and prestige of the Lougheeds. An article in the Calgary Daily Herald claimed it was one of the finest residences in the Canadian northwest. In their day, when the population of this pioneer town was under 4,000, the Lougheeds were among Calgary's most influential citizens; they would remain so for decades. Their house was a political and social hub of this young and fast-growing prairie center, and received many renowned visitors. Lougheed House received important state visitors on many occasions. In 1912, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught and their daughter Princess Patricia stayed at the house. In 1919, the Lougheeds entertained the Prince of Wales at a garden party. Prince Edward visited again in 1923 and 1928. Other notable visitors included Prince George; Governor General Lord and Lady Byng; Prince Erik of Denmark (1928); Lord and Lady Willingdon; and the Right Honourable Stanley Baldwin. James Lougheed was appointed to the Senate in 1889, and worked to grant provincial status to Alberta in 1905. Following the Conservative victory in 1911, he held a number of key portfolios. He was knighted in 1916 for his role in establishing hospitals and services for Canadian veterans after the Great War. Successful in business and property development, Lougheed also supported the arts, building Calgary's Lyric and Grand Theatres." (http://www.lougheedhouse.com/)

I walk past the Lougheed House and its beautifully planted garden on my way to and from work every day. I am always drawn to the texture of the stone walls and the fact that it has a sense of history, which is rare to find in Calgary and I entirely miss quite a bit from Europe. The building with today's perfect photography sky looks quite dramatic as a vertorama (vertically stitched images to allow for more foreground AND more sky) with a 10mm lens, but it is taking me too long tonight to figure out how to fix the distortions. So, here is a less dramatic but also undistorted look. The cloud scattered sky nicely diffused the sunlight, creating a perfect naturally lit scene.

1/100s @ f/10.0 ISO 200

Day 2 / 365

I am not sure what would have made for a more interesting shot - the one below or one of my face after the mosquitoes were done with it. It seems they are out in full force and quite blood thirsty, and my face looks a bit as if I lost the fight.

1/250s @ f/7.1 ISO 200

This week, my aim is to get used to taking a photo every single day.

Day 1 / 365

Today is my start of project 365. It is also a Tuesday, which means that I had cello lesson tonight. My teacher M. is always so wonderfully inspiring, so this first shot was inspired by her.

1/60s @ f/5.0 ISO 100

My aim for this shot was to personify the instrument - with a little imagination you can see a figure who is holding up the strings by its shoulders. The heart shape reflects my feelings for the cello and classical music.