With the holidays quickly approaching, I decided to get a little crafty to kick off Halloween. I read an article in Digital SLR Photography magazine about how to shape bokeh. I decided to give it a shot and was surprised at how easy it was providing you have the right equipment. Once I set everything up I was amazed at how the PacMan Ghosts came to life on my camera's screen. Here's how I did it:
You will need:
black card stock
cutting knife (exacto)
LED lights
scotch tape
lens with a very low aperture (f/1.4)
1. Using your lens' UV filter, trace a circle in the card stock. Then draw whatever image you would like to portray in your photo in the center of the circle. Ex - ghost, heart, Christmas tree, etc. Next cut the object out of the card stock and place it over your camera lens and secure it by fastening it in place with your UV filter.
2. Next, using the scotch tape, fasten your lights to a flat/clean surface. This may take some adjusting to get it just how you want it.
3. Place your subject a few feet in front of your lights. The idea here is to provide enough distance to establish a rich depth of field with the lights once your focus on your subject.
4. Next set your camera to your desired settings. You want to expose for the lights. I used an ISO of 640, F/1.4 & 1/125.
5. Hit your subject with a torch light (or other as I did) and start taking your photos.
Tips: Make sure your camera is secure. A tripod is always a good start. Also, remote release or self timer is great to have. Lastly, GET CREATIVE AND HAVE FUN!