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How to Simulate a Swirly Bokeh in Photoshop

25 Sep

Hailing from Russia, I give you…the Helios and its swirly bokeh.

How to Simulate a Swirly Bokeh in Photoshop - Helios lens

Image by Markus Spiske

I know, it’s kind of an ugly duckling right? At the very least, Helios lenses are certainly not the shining example of classical grace and beauty that the company’s bestowed name might conjure forth. Instead, the true charm and appeal of these vintage lenses comes from what’s on the inside.

Due to their optical nature, Helios lenses can produce wonderfully swirly bokeh and backgrounds when shot at wide apertures.

How to Simulate a Swirly Bokeh in Photoshop - image shot with Helios lens

Image by Mike Newton made with a Helios lens.

If you don’t happen to have a Helios lying around (they’re actually quite cheap) then I hope you will consider learning how easy you can simulate that swirly bokeh of this nifty little lens. You can do it right inside of Photoshop – here’s how.

What Kind of Images Work Best?

The charm of the Helios lens comes from separating the subject from the background with style. This means that just like any other time you want to blur out a background, the further you can place your subject from the objects behind it the more blurred the background will become.

The same is true for images you choose to simulate the “Helios effect” in Photoshop. Look for images with isolated subjects that can be easily separated from the background. This is the example we’ll be using for the demonstration.

How to Simulate a Swirly Bokeh in Photoshop - example image for tutorial

Not only do swirly backgrounds complement images like these more so than others, but having easily identifiable borders between your subject and the background will make things much easier on you during the processing.

How to Create the Helios Effect

The key player in this edit will be a hidden little tool, or rather a filter, buried inside of the Blur Gallery portion of the Filter menu bar at the top of the window. You will use the Spin Blur Filter to give you that dreamy understated swirly bokeh background for which Helios lenses are so favored.

After you’ve got your image opened in Photoshop it’s time to begin the effect.

Duplicate the Layer

Make a duplicate copy of the background layer by using the keyboard shortcut Cmd/Ctrl+J. Feel free to rename the duplicate layer as I’ve done here to help you keep track in case you’re working with more layers.

spin blur layer - How to Simulate a Swirly Bokeh in Photoshop

Next, go up to menu bar you looked at earlier and go to Filter > Blur Gallery > Spin Blur… This will open up the blur gallery and it is here where you’ll do the actual blurring.

spin blur in the menu - How to Simulate a Swirly Bokeh in Photoshop

You’ll notice quite a few options here in the spin blur gallery; the most important of which is the Blur Angle slider.

blur angle slider - How to Simulate a Swirly Bokeh in Photoshop

This is how you will control the amount of simulated blur in your image. Think of the blur angle as the control for the degree of swirl in the background. Before you decide on how much blur you want to introduce to your image you first need to decide where you want the blur effect to be applied. Do this by adjusting the size and shape of the blur filter itself.

Adjust the Size and Feather Amount of the Filter

You can click and drag the outside of the filter to control its size and shape. How close the blur comes to the edges of the filter is controlled by the four larger dots shown here:

spin blur adjustment dots - How to Simulate a Swirly Bokeh in Photoshop

Think of these dots as the way you dictate the feathering of the spin blur effect as it approaches the edges of the filter. Drag the filter out to just past each corner of the frame and then adjust the feathering accordingly.

Feel free to experiment with placing the center point of the filter at different locations within your image.

spin blur filter in action - How to Simulate a Swirly Bokeh in Photoshop

Select the Blur Amount

As I’ve said, the largest variable you can control when applying your swirly bokeh background is the angle of the blur, which essentially dictates the amount of perceived spin blur. In most cases, a very small amount of blur angle works best, say maybe 2-4%.

Keep in mind that the true swirly bokeh from the Helios lens is generally subtle so keep the background blur in your simulated images somewhat subdued. Here’s our image with 4% blur angle applied.

4% blur applied - How to Simulate a Swirly Bokeh in Photoshop

Keep in mind that the final determination of the amount of blur will be decided just a little later in the process by using the layer opacity. So it’s a better idea to add in a little too much blur than not enough at this point in your processing.

Also, keep in mind that you can also increase or decrease the amount of blur angle using the control wheel located at the very center of the filter. Once your blur is applied, click “OK” at the top of the screen.

NOTE: If you convert the layer into a Smart Object before applying the Spin Blur filter, the settings can be adjusted at any time as it will be a non-destructive edit.

Final Blur Adjustments Using Layer Masks and Opacity

Now that you’re back to the main editing window in Photoshop you can finish up your Helios-style blur effect by using layer masks and opacity to customize the blur.

Adjust the opacity of the spin blur layer by using the layer opacity slider until the effect reaches the desired amount you like for your particular image. In this case, I’ve set the opacity to a modest 70%.

layer at 70% opacity - How to Simulate a Swirly Bokeh in Photoshop

Next, we’ll want to make sure the subject of the photo is free from the blur effect. To do this, add a layer mask to the spin blur layer.

add a layer mask - How to Simulate a Swirly Bokeh in Photoshop

Then use the Brush tool to remove the blurring effect from the areas where it’s not needed. And viola! Your freshly minted Helios swirly bokeh simulation is complete!

final image butterfly and flowers - How to Simulate a Swirly Bokeh in Photoshop

Final Thoughts on Simulating Helios Bokeh

Acquiring an actual Helios lens is a surprisingly easy and budget-friendly method for adding a little uniqueness to your photography. Still, if you choose not to get a lens of your own, you can simulate the look of that classic Helios swirl by using the methods shown in this article.

Here are a few points to remember if you want to give the Photoshop Helios method a try:

Choose a photo with a subject that is relatively isolated on its focal plane.
Images with busy backgrounds work best.
A blur angle of 2-4% is adequate for most photos.
Center the blur around the main subject but don’t be afraid to move it elsewhere!
Control the final blur amount using the layer opacity slider and layer masks.

Simulating the swirly blurred backgrounds of the Helios is easy and quick in Photoshop using the spin blur filter.

Here are a few more examples of images which have been given the Helios effect using the techniques shown here.

The post How to Simulate a Swirly Bokeh in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Four Ways to Generate Stunning Bokeh in Your Images

06 Aug

Bokeh refers to the blur in the background of an image, and for photographers, stunning bokeh is like gold. We want it, struggle for it, need it. Yet how do you generate stunning bokeh consistently?

Fortunately, there a few simple ways to create high-quality background bokeh.

macro flower bokeh photography tulip - Four Ways to Generate Stunning Bokeh in Your Images

In this article, you’ll find four ways that will enhance your ability to produce pleasing bokeh, and therefore increase your photographic versatility and skill.

I’ll first discuss techniques such as increasing the subject to background distance and shooting wide opened. Then I’ll explain bokeh-enhancing situations such as backlighting. You’ll finish with the knowledge to creatively generate stunning bokeh in your own images.

macro flower bokeh photography aster - Four Ways to Generate Stunning Bokeh in Your Images

What is pleasing bokeh?

A quick word on great bokeh: In general, bokeh simply refers to the background blur generated by a lens. However, there are two types of bokeh that I’m going to focus on here.

The first is what I will call geometric bokeh. Geometric bokeh is out of focus highlights that actually take on a geometric shape. This particular shape depends on the nature of the lens, but circles, hexagons, heptagons, and octagons are all fairly common.

When properly utilized, this type of bokeh can add an impressive edge to your images.

macro flower bokeh photography aster geometric bokeh

The lights in the background of this image produce geometric bokeh.

I will refer to the second type of bokeh as creamy bokeh. This is the smooth, out-of-focus look that photographers often strive to achieve.

macro flower creamy bokeh photography daisy

This daisy image has very creamy bokeh.

Both types of bokeh can be generated, but require slightly different methods. Let’s take a look at each.

1. Shoot wide opened

This is really the bread and butter of creating stunning bokeh. Regardless of whether you want geometric or creamy bokeh, shooting wide open (that is, with an aperture in the f/1.2-2.8 range) will greatly increase your chances of achieving it.

I will focus on creamy bokeh here.

macro flower creamy bokeh photography tulip

A wide aperture assisted me in producing a really creamy bokeh background.

If you stop down your lens so that the depth of field is far less shallow, you’ll find that you lose the possibility of nice, creamy backgrounds.

This is because a larger depth of field means that the background is rendered less blurry. To generate the creamiest bokeh, you want to blur the background as much as possible. It’s as simple as that.

To generate better creamy bokeh, widen your aperture to decrease the depth of field. Only then will you start to achieve that beautiful, creamy look and stunning bokeh.

2. Maintain a good subject to background distance

Another essential aspect of producing pleasing bokeh is keeping a good distance between the subject and background. As in the first tip, this applies to both creamy and geometric bokeh, but I’m going to focus on creamy bokeh here.

When I talk about the subject to background distance, I’m referring to the distance between the elements of the photograph that are in focus—your subject—and the elements of the photograph that are out of focus, i.e. your background.

macro flower bokeh photography - Four Ways to Generate Stunning Bokeh in Your Images

Why does having a good distance between the subject and background enhance the quality of creamy bokeh?

It has to do with the depth of field. A greater distance between the subject and background means that the depth of field (the area that is sharp within the image) ends far before the background. The background is then rendered in the form of a lovely blur, rather than as a more in-focus mess.

So in order to increase the creaminess of the bokeh, increase the distance between your subject and your background.

3. Find bright highlights behind the subject

I’ve talked a bit about generating creamy bokeh, now it’s time to turn briefly to geometric bokeh.

Impressive geometric bokeh is created by highlights. One way to get strong geometric bokeh is to look for bright lights in the background.

macro flower bright geometric bokeh photography

The water behind this flower was reflecting the setting sun.

You can achieve this in a few ways. For instance, you might look for objects that filter sunlight, such as leaves. They break up the rays of the sun and turns them into small pinpricks of light that then become impressive geometric bokeh.

You can also look for elements that reflect light. Water is a great option. Another is water droplets. Areas that are wet with morning dew can generate beautiful bokeh when placed behind the subject.

macro flower bokeh photography dandelion - Four Ways to Generate Stunning Bokeh in Your Images

Third, you might search for small light sources in the background. Car lights, street lamps, or christmas lights all work well, especially when shooting after sunset.

Fourth, if you really want to create bokeh but are struggling to find the proper conditions, you can create them yourself. Bring a string of fairy lights with you when you’re shooting, and place them behind the subject.

I used fairy lights to create the geometric bokeh in this image.

Geometric bokeh is not all that common in photographs, but can be fairly easily produced. Just follow the tips discussed above!

4. Put the subject in the shade, with a bright background

This method of generating stunning bokeh is unique, in that it can produce amazing creamy bokeh when used one way, and amazing geometric bokeh when reversed.

Both ways involve making sure that your subject is in the shade. Both methods also involve having a bright background. Ideally, you should be shooting in the early morning or late evening when the sun is low in the sky.

macro leaf autumn bokeh photography

Where the techniques diverge is in the placement of the sun.

If you shoot with strong frontlighting—that is, if the sun comes from behind you, over your shoulder—position your subject so that beautiful golden light spills onto the background behind your subject (while your subject remains shaded).

Then that golden light will often render the background similarly golden, and you’ll find that your bokeh becomes wonderful and creamy.

macro flower bokeh photography cosmos

If you shoot with strong backlighting—that is, if the sun comes from behind your subject—position the subject so that the sun must go through trees, leaves, branches, or grasses. As mentioned above, this creates bright highlights behind the subject.

These are then blown into beautiful geometric bokeh.

macro flower bokeh photography

Feel free to experiment. Try to vary the amount of shade on your subject, moving from complete shade to direct backlighting.

This flower was more directly backlit.

Whether you choose to shoot with frontlighting or backlighting, by placing your subject in the shade and working during the “golden hours” of sunrise and sunset, you’ll generate beautiful bokeh.

Conclusion

While photographers often struggle to create beautiful bokeh, it doesn’t have to be hard. By shooting with a wide aperture, using a large subject to background distance, by positioning the subject so that bright highlights exist behind it, and by using special types of lighting, you can begin producing images with stunning bokeh.

macro flower bokeh photography hyacinth

Know other ways of generating great bokeh? Please share them and your bokeh images in the comment area below.

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Tips for Shooting Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images at Blue Hour

05 Aug

You have probably seen out of focus cityscape bokeh photos with pleasing lights, like the photo below. The term “bokeh” comes from the Japanese word “boke”, which can be translated as “blur”. You should be familiar with bokeh effect that is typically seen in portrait photography where a shallow depth of field is used to purposefully throw the background out of focus (i.e. bokeh) and draw attention solely to the subject.

Unlike portrait photography, everything is thrown out of focus for cityscape bokeh photos that we’re trying here. It makes colourful light orbs appear prominently in the image and creates a unique art style. If you haven’t tried these cityscapes with bokeh lights before, follow along with the simple four steps below. It’s super easy!

Singapore - Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images

Singapore skyline with bokeh lights at blue hour (26mm, f/4.2, 15 seconds, ISO 100).

Step 1: Find a location with enough lights

Shooting at popular cityscape photography spots works great, but any place (such as a road in front of your house) might be suitable as long as there are sufficient lights. The choice of location isn’t very critical, as everything is blurred out, anyway.

My favourite spot to shoot from is an overhead bridge. It always gives pleasing results with many different colors of light sources available (buildings, cars headlights and tail lights, street lamps, traffic lights, etc.).

Shot from an overhead bridge in a suburb. You don’t necessarily have to go to the city center to shoot photos with bokeh lights (34mm, f/2.5, 1/2.5 second, ISO 100).

Step 2: Start shooting 10-20 minutes before the end of dusk

Cityscape bokeh images won’t work if the sky is still bright. It’s around this time (10-20 minutes before the end of dusk – check gaisma.com for your local dusk time) that city lights have been turned on, and the deep blue color of the dusk sky creates a beautiful backdrop for glittering bokeh lights.

Singapore - Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images at Blue Hour

Singapore skyline with bokeh lights, shot exactly at the end of dusk (28mm, f/4.5, 6 seconds, ISO 100).

Shooting after dusk with the pitch black sky as a backdrop also works fine, but I personally prefer shooting during blue hour.

The same view shot 20 minutes after the end of dusk (28mm, f/4.5, 13 seconds, ISO 100).

Step 3: Use Aperture Priority mode and a wide aperture

You may start with the smallest f-stop number and adjust to your liking. A wider aperture (smaller f-stop number) results in larger bokeh orbs, as seen in the photos below that were shot at the exact same location at different settings (top: shot with f/1.8, bottom: shot with f/4).

Shot at f/1.8

Shot at f/4

Step 4: Switch to manual focus

Use manual focus (as opposed to autofocus) and turn the focus ring until the lights are completely out of focus. This is easy as pie, but if the word “manual” turns you off, you can remain in autofocus and do the following, too.

Set to single-point AF (autofocus).
Hold up a lens cap (or a small item) towards the sky in front of you, as seen in the photo below.
Focus on the lens cap and press the shutter button halfway down to lock the focus (which makes everything else out of focus).
Move the camera to reframe the shot as you like and press the shutter down the rest of the way.

Singapore lens cap - Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images at Blue Hour

No Fast Lens, No Tripod Needed

In order to capture these pleasing cityscape bokeh effects, you might be thinking that you need a so-called “fast lens” (i.e. a lens that is capable of opening up to f/1.4 or f/1.8, for example.) that portrait photographers typically use.

No, you do not! In fact, you can take these bokeh photos using f/3.5 on your kit lens. Some photos in this post were shot at f/4.5 on my trusty Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5, hardly a lens that is considered fast.

Furthermore, you can take these bokeh photos handheld (i.e. without using a tripod), as shooting with the aperture wide open (or close to it) helps keep the shutter speed high enough. Anyway, stability and sharpness aren’t very critical, as you are shooting photos that are completely out of focus!

The only occasion I use a tripod is when I want to create smooth water by using a neutral density (ND) filter. Then, a tripod is a must, as the exposure lasts at least for several seconds even if you’re shooting with the aperture wide open.

Singapore CBD with bokeh lights at blue hour, shot with a 3-stop ND filter attached (20mm, f/3.5, 13 seconds, ISO 100).

One View, Two Images

What I particularly like about shooting cityscapes with bokeh lights is that a single view can produce two completely different images, one in focus and one out of focus, like the photos below shot at the same location.

At blue hour, I typically shoot an in-focus cityscape with a few minutes of long exposure first. Once finished, I switch to manual focus and shoot out of focus photos with the cityscape bokeh lights until the deep blue hue in the dusk sky is gone.

By the way, I like shooting with a little smaller aperture like f/3.5 to f/4.5 so that the shape of the skyline is still recognizable for those who are familiar with the place.

Singapore in focus - Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images at Blue Hour

Singapore skyline in focus (18mm, f/11, 194 seconds, ISO 100).

Singapore out of focus - Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images at Blue Hour

Singapore skyline with bokeh lights (18mm, f/3.5, 8 seconds, ISO 100).

Conclusion

I hope this article helps you get started with cityscape photos with pleasing bokeh lights if you haven’t tried previously.

As a cityscape photography enthusiast myself, I’ve found it quite fun to shoot something that looks completely different from otherwise ordinary cityscapes. If you have any questions or tips to share, feel free to do so in the comments below.

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Sigma announces price and ship date of 105mm F1.4 ‘bokeh master’ Art lens

26 May

Sigma’s special ‘bokeh master’ 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens made quite a splash when it was first announced back in February, and now Sigma is finally revealing when it will ship and how much it will cost. If you’re in the market for this behemoth of a lens—seriously, we got a hands on at CP+… it’s huge—for either Nikon, Canon, or Sigma mounts, you’ll have to pony up $ 1,600 USD and wait until “late June” to get it.

For Canon and Sigma shooters, this is a whole new speed of lens that you’ve never had access to before. For Nikon shooters, it’s an opportunity to save $ 600 on the Nikon 105mm F1.4E ED lens, which is currently going for $ 2,200.

To learn more about this lens, check out our hands-on coverage from CP+, read the full pricing and availability press release below, or visit the Sigma website.

Press Release

Sigma Announces Pricing and Availability for Its 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens

The “Bokeh Master” will begin shipping in Canon, Nikon and Sigma mounts in late June for a retail price of $ 1,599.00 USD

Ronkonkoma, NY – May 25, 2018 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading still photo and cinema lens, camera, flash and accessory manufacturer, today announced that its 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art lens will be available in Canon, Nikon and Sigma camera mounts in late June for $ 1,599.00 USD through authorized US dealers. The Sony E-mount availability will be announced later.

The “Bokeh Master” with Longest Focal Length Among Sigma Wide-Aperture F1.4 Art Lenses

The Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art is the ninth lens in the Sigma F1.4 line-up designed for full-frame cameras. To combine outstanding wide-aperture, mid-telephoto performance with F1.4 brightness at maximum aperture, this lens incorporates 17 optical elements in 12 groups, including three FLD glass elements, two SLD glass elements and one aspherical lens element. This optical setup minimizes axial chromatic aberration to deliver ultra high resolution along with ample peripheral light volume, which minimizes vignetting. As a result, the area in focus is extremely sharp, while the out-of-focus area features a beautiful bokeh effect with highly natural colors, making this a desired lens for portrait photography. The optical design also minimizes sagittal coma flare, making it an excellent choice for capturing starry skies.

Featuring the Sports line level dust- and splash-proof design, this lens can be used in varying weather conditions. The high-speed, high-accuracy autofocus helps photographers react in an instant to capture those special moments.

Other lens highlights include carbon fiber reinforced plastic hood for durability and compatibility of the Canon mount lens with the Canon Lens Aberration Correction function.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Instagram ‘Focus’ mode brings fake bokeh to single-camera smartphones

11 Apr

Instagram has released version 39 of its iOS and Android mobile apps, and the update brings with it a background-blurring portrait mode similar to the “Portrait”, “Depth” and “Bokeh” modes we have seen on most recent high-end smartphones… with one major twist.

While the baked-in bokeh modes on most smartphones use the slightly offset lenses of a dual-camera setup, or other partly hardware-based methods to create the effect, Instagram’s version appears to solely rely on face detection. That means you shouldn’t expect perfect subject/background isolation and super-smooth blur transitions, but it also means single-camera phones can take advantage of the feature.

Focus mode is available in the Stories camera UI, right next to “Superzoom”. It works with both front and rear cameras, automatically blurring the background when one or more faces are detected. Focus mode works on the Apple iPhones SE as well as the 6S, 7 and 8 generations and the iPhone X. It is also available on “select Android devices”, which appears to include most current high-end Androids.

In short: Focus mode looks like a nice addition to the Instagram feature set, but if your smartphone offers a native portrait mode you’re probably better off using that and inserting the image into Instagram via the gallery or camera roll. To find out more about Focus, head over to the Instagram Press blog or update the app and give the feature a try for yourself.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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CP+ 2018: Hands-on with Sigma 105mm F1.4 Art ‘bokeh master’ & 70mm macro

01 Mar

CP+ 2018: Hands-on with Sigma 105mm F1.4 Art ‘bokeh master’

Sigma’s new 105mm F1.4 DG HSM is a beast, weighing in at 1.6 kilos. We’re at the CP+ tradeshow in Yokohama, Japan, where we just got our hands on what Sigma is calling the ‘bokeh master’.

CP+ 2018: Hands-on with Sigma 105mm F1.4 Art ‘bokeh master’

Even without the hood, the new 105mm is a large lens, with a front filter diameter of 105mm. It’s not particularly long, but as you can see from this shot, which shows the lens mounted on a Canon EOS 6D, it has a very wide diameter of 116mm (4.6 inches). The large tripod ring is included, and can be removed for hand-held shooting.

CP+ 2018: Hands-on with Sigma 105mm F1.4 Art ‘bokeh master’

With the hood attached, the 105mm gets even larger.

CP+ 2018: Hands-on with Sigma 105mm F1.4 Art ‘bokeh master’

The new 105mm is unstabilized, which means that the only controls on the lens are an AF/MF switch and a very broad, wide-diameter focus ring. Manual focus is a luxurious experience on all of Sigma’s ‘Art’ series and this lens is no different. Judging purely from our brief experience on the show floor, autofocus speed is similar to the 85mm F1.4: smooth and positive without being as quick and snappy as lenses with fewer pieces of glass to move around.

CP+ 2018: Hands-on with Sigma 105mm F1.4 Art ‘bokeh master’

And there is a lot of glass inside the 105mm. The new lens comprises 17 elements in 12 groups, including three FLD glass elements, two SLD glass elements, and one aspherical element.

Sigma claims that the lens creates a beautiful bokeh effect, and the well-controlled sagittal coma should make it excellent for capturing ‘starry skies’. A 105mm wouldn’t be our first choice for astrophotography, but we can’t wait to get hold of a shootable sample, and see what it can do.

CP+ 2018: Hands-on with Sigma 105mm F1.4 Art ‘bokeh master’

Also unveiled at the show was a new macro lens, – a first for the Art range. The 70mm F2.8 DG Macro offers true 1:1 reproduction, and a dust and splash-proof construction.

The lens features an extending, floating, two-group focus mechanism. Optical construction incorporates two FLD glass elements, two SLD glass elements, and one element with ‘a high rate of anomalous partial dispersion and a high index of refraction’. This should minimize axial chromatic aberration. Sigma claims that two aspherical elements ensure ‘razor-sharp’ images at close focusing distances.

CP+ 2018: Hands-on with Sigma 105mm F1.4 Art ‘bokeh master’

The 70mm macro is a pretty compact short-tele lens when focused at infinity, but gets bigger when the included hood is attached. The front filter diameter is a modest 49mm. Three focus limits can be set, for reducing autofocus ‘hunting’ at short working distances.

CP+ 2018: Hands-on with Sigma 105mm F1.4 Art ‘bokeh master’

When the lens is racked to its minimum focus distance of 26cm (10.2 inches) the lens itself grows considerably in size (but the hood stays put). Focus is ‘focus by wire’.

At 515g (18 oz) it’s reasonably lightweight, and balances well on our A7R III (with an adapter). We got our hands on a Canon-mount version, but the 70mm F2.8 is also available in Sony FE mount natively.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Sigma unveils 105mm F1.4 Art ‘bokeh master’

27 Feb

The Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM is the longest F1.4 lens in the Art series to date, comprising 17 elements in 12 groups. It is, of course, dust- and splash-resistant, and includes an Arca-Swiss tripod collar. Sigma boasts that the 105mm delivers ‘unsurpassed F1.4 performance’ and ‘exceptional peripheral brightness.’ No pricing or availability is given at announcement.

SIGMA 105mm F1.4 DG HSM

Introducing the “bokeh master”—featuring incredible resolution and designed for full-frame sensors, this is the longest focal length of the Art line’s F1.4 lenses

1. Optical system delivering unsurpassed F1.4 performance

2. Exceptional peripheral brightness

3. Professional specifications

4. Ease-of-use specifications

5. Compatible with full-frame Sony E-mount cameras

6. Compatible with Canon Lens Aberration Correction Launch: TBD Accessory: Case, Cover Hood (LH1113-01), tripod socket (TS-111), protective cover (PT-21) Available AF mounts: SIGMA, Nikon, Canon, and Sony E-mount Note: Appearance and specifications are subject to change without notice.

Leading the way in F1.4 brightness
Since introducing its first SIGMA Global Vision F1.4 lens in 2012, the 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art, SIGMA has been adding wide-aperture F1.4 options to the lineup. Now, with the introduction of the new 105mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art, SIGMA offers a total of nine lenses with F1.4 brightness, including six for full-frame cameras and three for APS-C cameras. SIGMA has designed all of these lenses to offer minimal optical aberration and deliver incredible resolution and stunning contrast. Boasting the longest focal length of the F1.4 Art line lenses, the new lens combines outstanding resolution with a beautiful bokeh effect. Designed with great care to ensure that both the in-focus and out-of-focus areas of the photograph are equally satisfying to the eye, this lens is truly a “bokeh master.” The SIGMA 105mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art has earned its place as the flagship of the F1.4 Art line lenses, prioritizing image quality above all to fulfill the promise of the line, delivering truly amazing optical performance.

Key features

1. Optical system delivering unsurpassed F1.4 performance
In order to combine outstanding wide-aperture, mid-telephoto performance with F1.4 brightness at maximum aperture, this lens incorporates 17 optical elements in 12 groups—an uncommonly large number of elements for a prime lens. By including three FLD glass elements, two SLD glass elements, and one aspherical lens element, the optical system minimizes axial chromatic aberration to deliver extremely high resolution along with ample peripheral light volume. The area in focus is extremely sharp, while the area out of focus features a beautiful bokeh effect with highly natural colors, making this lens a powerful choice for portrait photography. The optical system also minimizes sagittal coma flare, making this lens excellent for capturing starry skies.

2. Exceptional peripheral brightness
The most effective method of ensuring ample light is to maximize the diameter of the first element of the optical system. With its large filter diameter of 105mm, the SIGMA 105mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art delivers a significantly greater volume of peripheral light than other lenses in its class. Minimizing vignetting while offering a beautiful bokeh effect, this lens is ideal for portrait photography.

3. Professional specifications
Like SIGMA’s Sports line lenses, the 105mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art features a highly effective dust- and splash-proof structure with special sealing at the mount connection*, manual focus ring, cover connection, and other areas, allowing photographers to work in all types of weather. In addition, the front of the lens is protected by a water- and oil-repellent coating that makes cleaning easy. The high-speed, high-accuracy autofocus helps photographers react in an instant to get those special shots.
*SIGMA mount lens does not include sealing, since sealing is present on compatible SIGMA cameras.

4. Ease-of-use specifications
Instead of conventional ABS plastic, the exclusive lens hood features CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic), a light but strong material used in the interior and exterior fittings of aircraft, among many other applications. The removable Arca-Swiss tripod socket is compatible with Arca-Swiss platforms and clamps, and its exclusive protective cover makes the lens easier to carry and use when shooting hand-held.

5. Compatible with full-frame Sony E-mount cameras The Sony E-mount version of this lens is compatible with Sony mirrorless cameras and contains the same optical system as the versions for other mounts. SIGMA MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11 is not required, as the lens performs the same functions as the converter, including in-camera image stabilization and in-camera lens aberration correction. In addition, the lens is compatible with Sony’s Continuous AF, which is not available via MOUNT CONVERTER MC-11. SIGMA plans eventually to offer Sony E-mount versions of every full-frame prime lens currently available in the Art line, from 14mm to 135mm.
Note: This product is developed, manufactured and sold based on the specifications of E-mount which was disclosed by Sony Corporation under the license agreement with Sony Corporation.

6. Compatible with Canon Lens Aberration Correction
The Canon mount version of this lens is compatible with the Canon Lens Aberration Correction function.* Matching the optical characteristics of the lens, this function performs in-camera corrections of peripheral illumination, chromatic aberrations, distortion, and more, to further enhance image quality.
*Function not available on all Canon cameras. Available corrections may vary depending on the Canon camera model.

Other features

Rounded diaphragm
Fast AF with full-time manual override*
*The operation of full-time MF may vary based on mount type.
Compatible with SIGMA Mount Converter MC-11 Note: SIGMA and Canon mount lens
Available SIGMA USB DOCK makes customization and flexible adjustment possible* *Not available for Sony E-mount lens
Available Mount Conversion Service
Brass bayonet mount
Evaluation with SIGMA’s own MTF measuring system: A1
“Made in Japan” with outstanding craftsmanship

For more information about the SIGMA GLOBAL VISION lineup of fine products, please visit the official SIGMA global website: SIGMA GLOBAL VISION: http://www.sigma-global.com

Specifications All figures calculated for SIGMA

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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HTC U11 Eyes smartphone features a dual selfie camera with live bokeh

17 Jan

HTC has launched a new variant of its U11 smartphone called the HTC U11 Eyes, and it’s built specifically for selfie takers (cue eye roll). The name “Eyes” refers to the handset’s chief feature: dual front-facing cameras, which resemble a pair of eyes and bring features like live bokeh and post-focusing to selfies.

HTC packs some other premium features into the model, including an 18:9 ratio Full HD+ 6″ Super LCD 3 screen and a “flagship camera” on the rear, but other than the front-facing camera, the handset is more-or-less the same as the regular HTC U11.

The front-facing camera is comprised of dual 5MP BSI sensors behind F2.2 aperture lenses, which support Full HD 1080p video capture in addition to stills. The selfie cameras produce “studio-quality portraits,” claims HTC, with Bokeh Mode being the most notable feature. In that mode, selfie backgrounds are blurred in real time, though users also have the option of adjusting it manually after the fact.

The model’s front camera also supports Screen Flash, HDR Boost, Voice Selfie, Auto “Beautification,” Auto Selfie, and Selfie Panorama. The rear camera, meanwhile, features a 12MP HTC UltraPixel 3 with 1.4?m pixel, BSI sensor, OIS, F1.7 aperture, an LED flash, and UltraSpeed Autofocus. HTC has included a “Pro Mode” with manual control for its rear camera, including 32-second long exposures, Raw support, and manual control.

Cameras aside, the HTC U11 Eyes has a high-capacity 3930mAh battery that supports up to 28.8 hours of talk time (depending on the network) as well as Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor, IP67 water- and dust-resistance, Edge Sense squeezing support, HTC USonic audio tech, active noise cancellation, and Face Unlock.

Availability outside of China and pricing isn’t clear. Engadget reports that its “local sources” put the price potentially at HK$ 3,200, which is equivalent to about $ 410 USD and 334 EUR.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

07 Jan

Perhaps you want to creatively improve your image, already taken with a depth of field and bokeh or create this effect from scratch for a specific composition. In this article, you will learn how to work with new and old filters and their features, creatively apply textures, even create a bokeh texture from scratch.

Also, you’ll learn some small secrets and useful features of digital artists. Described techniques and features will be available depending on Photoshop versions, which I will mention in the process. You can use these techniques on any image and get surprising results, I just want to show you the principles and workflow.

Everything is about the creative approach, so do not hesitate and experiment!

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

Shallow Depth of Field and Bokeh

A shallow depth of field (DOF) is when the desired object (focus point) appears sharp and everything else is blurred. Under certain shooting conditions on a blurry background, there may appear some beautiful circles or blurred highlights – that is called bokeh.

This effect can be done during the shooting process or synthetically added in post-processing. You can use this as an artistic style, to pay attention to a certain object or interesting composition. It’s very handy to use such effects if you want to hide some flaws or unsuccessful or empty parts of the composition.

Also, it is often used to create lighting and foreground effects, additional details that help to immerse the viewer in the atmosphere of the scene much more. Areas for using this technique and the creative possibilities are huge, so I suggest that you start with a practice.

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

Blur Gallery – Field Blur

So, let’s start with the most interesting and powerful features of Photoshop CC – the Blur Gallery and Field Blur filter. Blur Gallery is available in the filter menu, starting with Photoshop CC 2014, and has five blur effects with additional features, such as Motion Effects, Noise, and Bokeh. Note that this does not work in older versions of Photoshop!

Open the image, to which you want to apply the effect in Photoshop via File > Open or use Cmd/Ctrl+O shortcut or just drag and drop the image from your file explorer into Photoshop.

Next, on the Layers panel, right-click on a layer and choose “Convert to Smart Object” (Layer > Smart Object > Convert to Smart Object). Go to Filter > Blur Gallery > Field Blur. Your workspace has been changed to the Blur Gallery dialog box and you are shown a control pin in the center of the image (if there are no pins visible, try Cmd/Ctrl+H or go to View > Extras, to hides/shows guides, controls, etc.).

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

Setting Your Blur Effects

So, for a pin in the center, set the Blur value to 0px and move it to the place in your image that should stay in sharp focus. Begin to apply a blur from the edges of the image and in problem areas that you want to hide by clicking on the place where you want to add pins or drag and drop existing pins to the desired place.

Adjust the blur intensity or remove it on the Blur Tools panel or use the blur handle around the pin itself. For the edges of the image, start with larger Blur values, and then reduce it, if necessary. Also, I used several pins with a smaller Blur values near the area in focus in order to create a softer transition from blurred to sharp areas. If you want to remove any of the pins, select it and press Delete on the keyboard.

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

Creating Bokeh

Now let’s set the settings for the bokeh. Start adding a bokeh by setting Light Bokeh to 100. Next work with the Light Range sliders and start moving white, then black, until finding the optimal ratio of values.

You can slightly reduce Light Bokeh values so you do not get large overexposed areas. At this stage, you need to be careful and change the blur settings along with others to get the best possible, most realistic result.

Adjust Color Bokeh values to vary the texture with a color and add unexpected shades. Just do not make this value too big, otherwise, it will increase saturation or a lot of additional shades will reveal themselves.

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

Iris Blur and Tilt-Shift

The following filter, which we will consider is Iris Blur. The principle of this filter is the same, but now you are working with the focus field. You see the white circle frame, that you can deform and rotate, four small points around it to control blur distribution (shape), pulling by a square you can specify the focus area. You can still use several pins but blur values are the same for all of them.

This filter is very convenient if you want to highlight a specific area. In the previous example, you could specify exactly which areas of the image stayed in sharp focus and had more flexibility to work with the form, here you have less control over the details.

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

Top image – Iris Blur. Bottom image – Tilt-Shift.

Tilt-Shift is very popular for the fact that it creates the impression of a miniature scene. It is especially good for photos of architecture and everything that is at a distance.

As an artist, I use it when I want to emphasize dynamism and distortion (especially, in abstract artworks) or to create a background when I work with portraits.

Path and Spin Blur

Path Blur is very useful if you decide to add motion to your composition or emphasize it. Unlike the Motion Blur filter, you can control the effect and set the most unusual directions for blur. Unfortunately, this filter does not have the ability to add a bokeh to the blur, but Motion Effects are available.

Top image – Path Blur. Bottom image – Spin Blur.

Spin Blur, also a motion blur, but in a radial form. With it, you can turn your photos into a painterly image and if you add color effects, it will turn out very well. I use this filter for various artistic techniques, mostly when I work with very abstract creations. With this filter, you can create a very simple simulation of long exposure photography.

The Blur Gallery

You can apply several filters from the Blur Gallery at once. Just checkmark desired filters, adjust their settings and click Ok to apply. Depending on the image size and performance of your computer, it may take time to render a preview of the effect and after once you apply the desired settings, so be patient.

Also, you can edit the settings of the applied filter if you convert the layer into a Smart Object and add the filter on it. It’s automatically a Smart Filter, so just double-click on the name of the filter and edit the settings. This is a non-destructive way of editing photos and creating artworks.

The advantage of a Smart Object is that you can go back and make changes to the filter or adjustment, apply it several times, even delete it if something went wrong and keep the original image intact.

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

Lens Blur Filter

Now let’s look at another powerful and fast solution for adding blur effects. The Lens Blur filter first appeared in Photoshop CS. So whatever version you use, CS or CC, this filter will be available for you. Take into account that this filter will not work on Smart Objects, so you can’t edit and apply this filter as a Smart Filter.

Again, open the desired image. Duplicate the original image layer (Layer > Duplicate layer or use the shortcut Cmd/Ctrl+J) to work non-destructively. In order to only apply an effect to a specific object or area, I made a selection with Quick Selection Tool (W) and added a layer mask to it (Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal Selection or use “Add layer mask” icon at the bottom of Layers panel).

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

To achieve a more realistic effect, blur the layer mask or its edge a bit because the hard edges of the mask can spoil everything. You can use Gaussian Blur filter (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur) or Feather option on Properties panel (Window > Properties) with the settings to your taste.

Lens Blur Settings

Highlight the layer thumbnail and go to Filter > Blur > Lens Blur… In the window that appears, first set Preview to Faster because this filter sometimes takes a long time to process changes. Next, in the Depth Map section, you can set Source to a Layer Mask to not apply a blur to a masked area, or leave this parameter at None to blur an entire image.

Checkmark Invert if only the selection from a layer mask is blurred and adjust Blur Focal Distance for more accurate blur distribution. If Lens Blur effect does not appear on a layer, just delete a layer mask (right click on a layer mask > Delete Layer Mask).

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

In the Shape drop-down menu, you can choose a form of bokeh. In this example, I will use a triangle because this is a rather unusual form, but shapes like Octagon produce more normal blurred results. Radius value controls the size of that shape and the amount of blur that is applied. Blade Curvature quite creatively changes the form and makes the shape more circular. Rotation sets the angle (direction) of the bokeh shape.

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

To control where the bokeh will appear, change the settings in the Specular Highlights section. Brightness increases the strength of the highlights within the blurred area.

Threshold controls which tonal range (pixels) need to be affected to create bokeh. This means that pixels brighter than a Threshold value can be used for creating a bokeh effect. Do not overdo with these two values, otherwise, bokeh shapes can merge into a single mass or even fill a part with white.

Adding Texture or Bokeh Overlays

You can always use additional textures in your artwork, created digitally or by using a camera. Open your image in Photoshop and go to File > Place Embedded (File > Place in older versions), then choose the desired texture. In my case, I made some photos with bokeh on a black background (to separate the bokeh).

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

Next start to experiment with the different layer Blending Modes, such as Screen, Linear Dodge (Add), Color Dodge, etc. You can always reduce the effect of the texture by reducing the layer Fill or adding a contrast to the texture with a Levels adjustment or adjustment layer to add more Blacks and greys, to make it more like “transparent”.

Or if you like texture but don’t like a color in it, then use a Hue/Saturation or Color Balance adjustment to change the hue or remove the color completely. Sometimes in different artworks, I use a bokeh layer with some blurred objects (mostly invisible).

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

Create Your Own Bokeh

This makes artwork more interesting and adds texture and details. There are a lot of opportunities for creativity with layers, and it’s simply impossible to describe them all in this article. But now I will show you one more interesting trick for creating bokeh texture from scratch using only Photoshop filters. If you like to experiment with filters and settings, then this is a very interesting direction, with a lot of options and discoveries in the process.

Create a new layer at the top of all layers by using the shortcut Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+N or going to Layer > New > Layer. In the dialog box that appears set Mode to Screen and checkmark “Fill with Screen-neutral color (black)”. Next, go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise and set following settings – Amount: 15%, Distribution: Gaussian and click Ok. If you want black and white texture, checkmark the Monochromatic option.

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

Next apply Mezzotint filter from Filter > Pixelate > Mezzotint with Type: Coarse Dots. This filter is needed to make noise texture sharper and add highlights to it. Now you need to soften the texture and blend colors. Apply Gaussian Blur filter (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur) with a radius 2.0 pixels.

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

Go to Filter > Other > Maximum and set Radius: 20pixels, Preserve: Roundness. Depending on Radius value and size of your working document, the texture becomes larger or smaller. Apply a Levels adjustment (Image > Adjustments > Levels or use Cmd/Ctrl+L) and move the Blacks until you are satisfied with the result.

Play around and experiment with values of each of these filters and you can find a lot of interesting options.

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

You can add more details to bokeh texture if you want, by using the Unsharp Mask or Find Edge filters. And if you repeat this technique again, but instead of using Mezzotint and Gaussian Blur, apply a Pointillize filter (Filter > Pixelate > Pointillize) with Cell Size: 35 you will get a completely different kind of bokeh texture. So do not hesitate to experiment!

On the internet, there are a lot of paid and free plugins available for Photoshop to create similar effects, for example, the Nik Collection. It’s a free and powerful addition to Photoshop CS4 through CC 2015 with a lot of interesting tools for photographers and artists. There also is the blur, depth of field and bokeh effects produced by Analog Efex Pro 2. In the image below you can see the work of this filter.

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

Conclusion

And at the end some pieces of advice for you.

More is not always better! Sometimes too many effects (unfortunately any) can give the opposite effect and hide the beauty of the original image or idea. Therefore, try to achieve harmony in color, composition and use these techniques with an intention. If you decided to experiment, then embody the idea entirely, do not hesitate! Do so as you like it.

Bokeh is a lighting effect, use it carefully, so as not to overexpose the overall image. This effect can add excessive brightness to highlights (the right part of the histogram), unwanted light peaks, or increase the overall brightness of the image. It’s important, for example, if you decide to share the picture on the internet or print your image.

The more contrast that is applied with a clear, not overexposed bokeh, the better it looks. So keep your eye on the histogram (you can find it in Window > Histogram).

How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop

Also, your bokeh should not be underexposed as well. This is important, by the fact that very often people try to remove unnecessary brightness incorrectly, so get a pale, not realistic bokeh. In exceptional artistic cases, this is permissible, but it is better not to do this.

Pay attention to where you have located or placed bokeh textures and where are the focus and blurred areas in your image, in order to express it more realistically and logically, through a visual image (in photo or artwork).

I will be glad to see your creative inventions, discoveries, and final results. If you have questions, please use the comments section below.

The post How to Create Realistic Bokeh and Blur Effects using Photoshop by Maria Semelevich appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Bokeh Market site tracks used camera market value, offers alerts on price changes

11 Nov

A new website called Bokeh Market aims to take some of the work out of buying and selling used camera gear by providing users with real-time market value info. The website, which is free to use, provides a graph showing an item’s value over time, its individual seller rating and, when possible, its trusted seller value. The site also culls active listings for the item from various online destinations, including eBay and B&H Photo.

The website is search-based, meaning users search for the gear they’re interested in. Though an account isn’t necessary to use the Bokeh Market, registering one allows users to create their own gear list, making it easier to see its value. Additionally, accounts can be used to get price alerts for specific items and to create bundles of items, the value of which is provided based on Bokeh Market’s data.

Via: PetaPixel

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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