Kalainen
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 Re: Bokeh Character Preferences for Wide Aperture Lenses | |
BastianK wrote:
My take on wide angle bokeh is the same as it is for any other focal length:
Bokeh is to the subject, what the pot is to a Bonsai tree.
It should enhance the scene, but not distract from the actual subject.
If it distracts from it, it failed its purpose.
Generally, I agree with this, for most general photos, bokeh should not distract the subject. But putting it like this, it sounds like similar rule as 'always use the rule of thirds, don't put anything in the middle', etc. In a sense, taking a way the aesthetic decision.
The thing is, not everyone is reaching for Bonsai aesthetics. Or to put it more precisely: not all photography is about aestheticizing the subject, ie. depicting the subject as being pleasing or representing in an idealized or refined manner. Most of the photography is of course this (professional photographers get payed for this), and this is what most photographers are doing without being really conscious about it, but there are also situations where photographer might go for more 'raw' outcome.
As an example Sally Mann's come to my mind. Looking at her work from todays lens design standard's point of view, the pictures have ridiculous amount of field curvature, vignetting and all, but it's of course a deliberate choice. I didn't found very good examples, don't have time for google, but here's a few.
Another example could be, The Pillar, work of Stephen Gill. He photographs birds with the whole different concept, essentially removing the standard aestheticizing aspect of the bird photography. And because of it, it become much more interesting than the million already seen bif-pictures. If interested, read more about it here
In short, I think that in general your definition of the good bokeh is on point, as long as one remembers that aestheticizing the subject is just one, though most of the used, approach to photography.
BastianK wrote:
Bad:
Good:
One might also discuss the bokeh in the context of single pictures. For me, the first picture's bokeh is more pleasing (even with the field curvature). The fault with the second picture is that the skyline looks like it was photographed through a 'greasy glass'. I'm sure the lens, whatever it is, produces fantastic results in other situations, I have no doubt about it, but here I just find it a rather dull looking.
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