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A comment on About Bokeh. Parent comment

Re:About Bokeh by mc32 on Friday December 20, 2019 @10:06PM (#21849330)
One thing I notice is when people get into photography bokeh is one of the first things that they want to emulate (another was HDR). But once they know the basic rules[1] of photography well enough to break them, they tend to view bokeh as that puppy-love attraction and now they are on to more serious photography. That is to say, bokeh is sometimes used as a crutch before people learn the basic rules and then learn how and when to break them to create a better photograph.

[1]https://www.flickr.com/groups/94761711@N00/discuss/721576221...

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Re:About Bokeh by blago on Friday December 20, 2019 @11:23PM (#21849605)
Exactly my experience! This is especially true for people who are into street photography. I've come full circle and I find myself looking for the sharpest picture across the whole frame.

Aesthetics aside, I think the reason we reach out for bokeh first is that it's an easy way to isolate subjects and obscure clutter. That gives your photography an instant boost. A lot easier than using composition, timing, and relying on luck.

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Re:About Bokeh by jrobn on Friday December 20, 2019 @11:58PM (#21849716)
It's also this quasi-metric for "professional quality" so first timers tend to spend the money to acquire these fast lenses in hopes it will suddenly make them a quality photographer.
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