# What is bokeh?

> Bokeh (from the Japanese word meaning blur or haze) describes the aesthetic quality of the out-of-focus areas in a photograph.

URL: https://camerashop.com.eg/what-is-bokeh/
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## Bokeh (from the Japanese word meaning blur or haze) describes the **aesthetic quality of the out-of-focus areas** in a photograph. Good bokeh appears smooth, creamy, and pleasing. Harsh bokeh appears busy, distracting, or edgy. It is a characteristic of the lens, not the camera body.

## **What creates bokeh**

Bokeh appears when you shoot with **shallow depth of field** — wide aperture (f/1.4 to f/2.8), long focal length, or close subject distance. Points of light in out-of-focus areas become soft circles or shapes.

The **shape** of these circles depends on the aperture blades. Lenses with more blades (9 or 11) and rounded edges produce rounder, more pleasing circles. Fewer blades (5-7) can produce hexagonal shapes.

The **smoothness** depends on optical design. Some lenses render backgrounds as smooth, painterly blur. Others produce nervous, busy backgrounds with visible outlines.

## **Good bokeh vs bad bokeh**

**Good bokeh:** Background melts into a smooth, uniform wash of color. Highlights appear as soft, round circles with even brightness. Transitions from sharp to unsharp are gradual.

**Bad bokeh:** Background elements retain visible structure and edges. Highlights appear as hard-edged rings or polygons. The out-of-focus area feels busy and distracting.

Bokeh quality is subjective — some photographers prefer slightly busier bokeh for character, while most portrait photographers prioritize the smoothest possible blur.

## **Lenses known for beautiful bokeh at Camera Shop Egypt**

## **How to get better bokeh**

**Use a wider aperture:** f/1.4 and f/1.8 produce more pronounced blur than f/4 or f/5.6.

**Use a longer focal length:** 85mm and 135mm produce more background compression and blur than 35mm or 50mm at the same aperture.

**Increase subject-to-background distance:** The further the background is from your subject, the more it blurs.

**Get closer to your subject:** Shorter focus distance means shallower depth of field at any aperture.

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For the most beautiful portrait bokeh, use an 85mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 lens, get close to your subject, and make sure the background is at least 3-4 meters behind them.

[Browse Lenses available in Egypt →](https://camerashop.com.eg/product-category/lenses/)