Here is Part 2 of Paul Harcourt Davies’ Bokeh article published at Imaging Resource.
It gets a little more complicated now with “Circle of confusion.” He discusses why often cameras with small sensors cannot give the same bokeh as those using larger sensors and how to use image stacking to get both great bokeh and amazing depth of field. I also learned a neat trick: choose a simple clutter-free background so you can use a smaller aperture (because the background is already clutter-free, you don’t need to blur it so much with a large aperture) to get more depth-of-field and therefore get more of your subject in focus.
As in Part 1, the article is accompanied by some beautiful images to illustrate the various points.
I especially love his parting advice: “It’s too easy to listen to what others tell you with apparent confidence about subjective qualities such as sharpness and bokeh. Remember that what matters in your photography is what you like — whether it’s good, bad, creamy, latté, macchiato or whatever. It’s your taste, so enjoy it!”
Read the article at: Imaging Resource.