I was recently playing around with this, heres what I came up with:

I've tested it this night.. and the results are wonderfull!!
Great idea! =)

I've also tried to build my one reversing ring for macro, but it didn't went the great!! I've cut a finger with a knife...!! I guess i've learned the hard way to be carefull! eheheh!! =)

Thank You for sharing this information...!!
I've tried to build my one Mini bouncer for flash, with k-line and golden spray...! The results are warmer pictures.. if you calibrate the WB to the golden exposure, the background (if were photographing in daylight!) goes blue, wich creates an interesting color in the final result...!
you can check the results at http://www.flickr.com/camil0

Hugs!!

Any hopes of achieving this with a point & shoot?

Fantastic, simple and very funny.

This was easy as pie and fun!! I am amazed at the ease of this. Now I'm inspired to do more, a lot more with this thing you call Bokeh :)

I am posting my first attempt at it!! Dont laugh :)

Thanks udi, I really like all the info I am getting from this web site, it is so helpful!!
I had 2 pictures posted on flickr.com but I needed to repost them so I deleted the above pics but here they are again, in full size!!

Try the dollar store for some pre made single hole punchers. I got a heart, star, moon, diamond/square, butterfly, and what I think is a 5 petal flower.... all for a dollar each...beats trying to cut them by hand, which I am not very good at.

I'd love to know which dollar store and where? We have a number of them in NYC. Of course I've never thought to look for such a thing. It would be cool to find one of these hole punchers.
I'm also wonder if it may be possible to make such a lens hood to fit around the zoom lens of my P&S Kodak Z712 IS camera.
Does the light just bounce around the inside of the hood to produce these multiple shapes in the photos?

@Paul

It's not the light bouncing around, it's only the shape of the hole you cut/punch in the paper. You don't need a hood, just a piece of paper cut to pretty much the exact size. If you have a filter for your lens (UV or Skylight, or anything basically) you can trace around that to get your diameter. Bokeh is a term that describes the unfocused elements in the picture, that's why the subject can be in focus and only the background elements will take the shape of your cutout. Lenses with fewer iris blades or is it diaphragm blades will be less "round" and create rougher out of focus elements. I'll see if I can dig up a link to some pics showing the difference. Some people obsess over it while most people don't even know what it is even when it's pointed out.

This fun project is like "custom bokeh" and while I haven't tried it yet, I will soon!

I have a video camera that has a f1.8 aperture, though the imager is much smaller than digital SLR.

While the custom bokeh works with my SLR lens, when I try with my camcorder, it is only a vignette. Has anyone successfully tried this on a camcorder? Or any ideas as to how I can get it work?

I'm using a Canon HV20, by the way, if that's of any help.

Thanks,
Peter

This is an awesome effect. What a neat way to add information and emotion to a photo. As asked above, I am most interested if this will work with video, and I bet that it will. I will be trying it out. Thanks for the good work everyone!

is it essential to have a 50mm f1.8 lens to achieve this effect?

how do you do those shot on bokeh? to have a sharp subject in the foreground, and get the heart-shaped bokeh?

i havent really tried this technique, i just want to know if this will work with an aperture of 3.5? i have the nikor dx 18-135. thanks :)

Here's what I have....
Used a star as the shape and the flash from my camera to enlighten my subject....

Thanks for the great tips, this is one of my bokeh love that i've done, you can view more on my flickr photostream by clicking the image...

How do you create such high quality pictures like that? I am trying to get into this alittle bit but unclear as to which direction to go! I am going to bookmark your site for future reference, keep up the good work!

I was wondering what to do with my 50mm when I bumped into this. Simply loving it!

they're indeed very beautiful. Looks very professional and crisp. Any other secrets you can share?

I just chanced upon this webpage, very nice, I did this for Diwali - the festival of lights!!

Yes, babies take half your brain with them - which means I have none left....

I don't know how you do it but your flower bokeh shots are simply amazing. Definitely FP.

It's great - i finally made mine and had a go with it tonight - here is my butterflies jumping out of fireworks!

I quickly tried it last night and am hooked. Its so easy this time of year because you can shoot holiday lights at night for a great effect. Thanks for the inspiration!

This was my first attempt...

I am using Open Office's Draw application (free! & excellent) for making the Bokehs. It has a multitude of pre-made shapes - stars, etc. Here is a sample file in open office draw's native format:
http://www.catmtn.com/temp/bokeh_sample.odg
...and another with a custom star and and improved heart shape:
http://www.catmtn.com/temp/bokeh_sample-2.odg
Simply resize the shape and/or the circle, for your lens, center the shape in the circle (select the circle then the shape, then use the centering buttons), print on high quality paper and cut out. One might also give the white side a shot of flat black spray paint, after cutting.
Thankz!! to all contributors to this idea - likely the coolest thing I have come across since immersing myself in photography.

i used the logo of a snowboard-factory i often do pictures for... first try but quite nice i guess...

thanks for sharing this idea!!!

http://www.ortmaniacs.de/TMP/peter/JK0P9148webfr.jpg

this sounds like a great idea, i'll have to try this this weekend.. but i'm having a hard time figuring out how your camera can take a picture when the front end is covered up with the exception of the heart shaped cut out.

wouldnt the majority of the picture come out black, b/c it's blocked. It will probably make more sense if i just go ahead and do it rather than sit here and theorize about it. =)

I'm curious....... Does this only work with a 50 mm lense or is there any other lenses that it will work with?

a 50mm lens is the best for two reasons. a) they're the cheapest way to get a wide aperture, and therefore a blurred background with a sharp foreground and b) they're usually physically shallow, and the shaped bokeh effect is best when the cutout is close to the center of the lens, lengthwise, so taping a shape to the front of the lens will vignette a bit but not much. All light passes through the center focal point of a lens, where the aperture blades are located. The closer to that point, the better.

Do you need a fast speed film when doing this?

So I've recently had the idea of using my Cokin filter system (www.cokin.com) for a custom bokeh holder! Just cut some black card stock to the right size, find the center (this is MUCH easier on a square shape than a circle), cut or punch the bokeh shape, insert. "Lather, Rinse, Repeat. It's that easy"

I initially made one of these a while ago, but then decided to bring it out again because it's a great and easy way to impress girls. Thanks, DIYP!

I have been experimenting to get this to work on my FF SLR, but I need a bigger cutout. Great fun though!

Main Street Bridge in Jacksonville, FL

Santa

This just gave some new insights. We all know that Canon's 50MM 1.8 II creates ugly bokeh (not a perfect circle, but rather a pentagon). So if I make something like this in the shape of a perfect circle, in effect, it should correct the 50MM's bokeh?

Aside from that, will there be no light loss?

Thanks!

-Francis

I rigged up one that looks a lil more presentable with added cost

More at my photoblog ----> http://www.my-cameras-pov.blogspot.com

These are amazing pictures and a great way to add character to your photos. I can't wait to get out there and try some pictures like this.

a 50mm lens is the best for two reasons. a) they're the cheapest way to get a wide aperture, and therefore a blurred background with a sharp foreground and b) they're usually physically shallow, and the shaped bokeh effect is best when the cutout is close to the center of the lens, lengthwise, so taping a shape to the front of the lens will vignette a bit but not much.

Hi! I have a film based camera. It is a Minolta X-7A and I recently purchased a 28mm-210mm F3.5 macro/zoom lens for it. Do you think it will be possible to achieve the same type of bokeh in my photographs? Will I be able to attach the heart cut-outs to the lens? Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am very new to photography and a big fan of bokeh. Thanks!

Does this work with a fixed lens camera, b/c i want to get the FujiFilm FinePix s2000hd, anyone help me?

Hi Guys

Thanks for the ideas
How about using a lens cap with a hole in it which is bigger than you need, then just stick a piece of black paper with your cutout/ stencil over the top?
This would enable you to focus as well

Dan

I wonder if its my lens as I have a 18-55mm f/3.5. I want a photo with the clear object in the front and the beautiful bokeh in the background. What am I doing wrong. Should I have the focus on manual?? I need a step by step guide I think!!
1) turn on camera
2) point it in the right direction...... LOL
thank you to anyone that can help me
Angela

I have been trying all day with my 18-200mm f/3,5 and it does not work. All I get is a heart shaped vignet.
I really thing you need a 55mm lense. I WANT ONE NOW!!! ;)
I see that one of the pages say this is a great bokeh lense: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005LEN4/ref=ord_cart_sh...

I'm just afraid it's a little to cheap.

This site is great, just found it. The tips are awesome and I can't wait to try them out.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellykaye/4140229572/

Didn't think it would work but it did!

Francis raised a question I don't think I've seen asked or answered before. How much light loss will there be? There's got to be some, since you're introducing an aperture that's smaller than the one in the lens. Anyone measured the amount of loss?

hello,
i was wondering if you could help me, I have been trying to create a heart shaped bokeh and I am having a fair bit of trouble. I have a 50mm lens and my lowest aperture is 3.5
What size should i make my heart?

Well this is my attempt with a 1 cm cut heart shape in cardboard. Used a 50 mm lens set at its widest aperture (1.8). The xmas tree in the background is the source of the effect, my dog is laying down just a few feet from it. Focusing on the dog throws the tree out of focus because of the shallow field of depth.

Canon Xsi, 50 mm lens 1.8.

Late off the mark, but here's my first try:

While these photos are interesting and pretty, the exercise is somewhat misleading. Bokeh refers to the out-of-focus part of any photo. The term is used to give photographers some idea of a lens's ability to render these out-of-focus areas in a photograph. Masking your lens and changing the shape of lights isn't "bokeh."

You mentioned above that you cannot achieve bokeh with a point and shoot camera. Is this bokeh? http://www.flickr.com/photos/basquille/3638876872/ I took this with a seven year old point and shoot camera.

Just wanted to share my two shapes that aren't the usual (heart/star).

Maltese Cross:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bam720/4371414441/" title="DSC_1639 by bam720, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2697/4371414441_74f2306a43.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="DSC_1639" /></a>

and Diamond w/ Cross:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bam720/4372164808/" title="31/365 by bam720, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4372164808_fdeff99284.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="31/365" /></a>

Thanks for the articles and writeups :)

i created my butterfly bokeh filter and tested it out w/ some nighttime street traffic:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4388464587_b7d97ffa74.jpg

My test on a canon 50mm F1.8

So I understand that you put a cutout paper onto the lens and align it so that it's dead-center, but I don't understand how exactly you have a regular picture, then have the cutout bokeh in place of where the light's. How exactly do you create these pictures?? I've been trying to figure it out for the longest time, and didn't really get anywhere -.- I have a Nikon D40 DSLR with a 35mm f/1.8 lens.

I thought it was fake, but I tried anyway ... It was Fantastic! Great tip!

I created my Heart-bokeh one hour ago with my cnc mill.. the results are BRILLIANT! 

I used 1mm plywood i was overwhelmed by the quality of the results...

Thank you for this HowTo! =)

I made this guide, It's a condensed edition of your article.

Greetings from México.

Diego Liedo Lavaniegos.

I feel like this might be a stupid question, but i just dont understand..just say, your cutting the hole to be a heart, the lens will still focus normally on the whatever the foreground is, and it will only change the bokeh shape. like it will take just like a normal picture?