Introduction
The purpose of this assignment is to practice writing professional definitions in three distinct styles—parenthetical, sentence, and expanded. Each definition serves a different purpose, as they become increasingly lengthier and more detailed. Another aim of this assignment is to experiment with different techniques to expand definitions, such as providing visuals, history, negation, etc.
Situation
The audience for these definitions is for non-technical readers who have little experience with photography or visual effects. This is intended to educate those who wish to learn more about aesthetic effects in photography.
Term: Bokeh
Parenthetical Definition
Bokeh (blurred orbs of colour created by an unfocused camera lens)
Sentence Definition
A Bokeh is the effect created when an image is shot with a soft, out of focus background, typically producing small shapes of colour in the background, while the foreground stays sharp.
Expanded Definition
The word “Bokeh,” pronounced “BOH-kay” originates from Japan. It comes from the Japanese word “boke,” which translates to “blur” or “haze” (Nikon).
A bokeh different from a blur because there are distinct shapes that are created. A blur will blend a whole image together and show rough organic shapes, whereas a bokeh will create distinct shapes that reflect the shape of the lens being used.
To achieve a bokeh effect in photography, the camera operator must shoot the subject using a fast lens at the widest aperture, at least f/2.8 (Nikon). The shape and size of the lens used will have a greater effect on how the Bokeh turns out. Circular-shaped lenses will produce rounder and softer highlights. Liu et al explain that this effect is not available to lower-end camera users due to the lens design (Liu et al. 2016); it is mainly used by experienced photographers with high-end equipment.
An example image of the “bokeh” effect is shown below:
Figure A.
Photographer: Sarah Hipwell
References:
Creative Live. (n.d.). All About that Bokeh: How to Shoot a Bokeh Background. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from Creative Live: https://www.creativelive.com/photography-guides/creating-bokeh-backgrounds?via=photography-guide-hub-freeform_2?utm_source=creativeLIVE&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=photo-video_common-photography-terms&utm_content=text_link
Hipwell, S. (2016). How to Create Bokeh In-camera and Using Photoshop. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from Digital Photography School: https://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-create-bokeh-in-camera-and-using-photoshop/
Liu, D., Nicolescu, R., & Klette, R. (2016). Stereo-based bokeh effects for photography.Machine Vision and Applications, 27(8), 1325-1337. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00138-016-0775-5
Nikon. (n.d.). Bokeh for Beginners. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from Nikon: https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/tips-and-techniques/bokeh-for-beginners.html
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