........................ photos by Elaine A. Russell

I know. Sounds like Shakespeare. But it's not.

Bokeh is actually a term used a lot in photography clubs and such. Many photographers argue on what it actually is... and there has been great debate on it.

If you look at the Wiki article, it explains it fairly well.. but it can still be confusing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh

Or -- here is another article that is pretty interesting... http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/bokeh.htm

And here is an awesome FlickR group that is all about bokeh http://www.flickr.com/groups/bokehwhores/

If I am understanding the term correctly, bokeh is essentially the "fuzzy effect" or blur that you get in your photos... usually in the background.

Now. This is NOT to be confused with using a shallow depth of field to take close-up photos. Yes, the background may be blurry, but this is not automatically bokeh.

For me....bokeh is more of an emotional feeling that you get when you see the blur in the background. What response does it evoke ?

As examples, the first photo I would consider bokeh. The light is iridescent and sparkles with the "fuzzy effect" in the background of the twig of willow.

The second photo ( echinacea plant ) is cool... but it is really a close-up of the flower that emphasises a shallow depth of field, and not necessarily bokeh.

Let me know what you think .......