You have a camera with a lens. You want to take a really cool photo during the holiday, and you have time to play. <----Sound like you? If it does, and if you don’t already know how to make a bokeh lens, keep reading! Of course you can buy bokeh lenses with some pretty cool shapes, but you probably couldn’t get them before Christmas, AND you wouldn’t be able to customize the shape. You wouldn’t have as much fun either. Maybe.
Besides a camera with a lens, you will need:
scissors, small piece of black card stock paper (or a Christmas card and a black marker works too!), a pencil or pen, scotch tape and a hobby knife (or razor blade)
1. Trace around the end of your camera lens on heavy black paper.
2. Cut out the circle with scissors.
3. Draw a shape (I used a star in the example photo to the left) with your pen/pencil (keep it small, maybe 1/2 inch across and vertical).
4. Cut out the bokeh shape with the hobby knife.
5. Tape your new paper creation to the end of your camera lens.
6. Open the aperture of the lens all the way.
7. Aim the camera at a light source (insert Christmas tree here), and adjust the focus until the light blurs and forms the bokeh shape (or focus on an object closer to you so the lights blur in the background).
I hope you have time to play around with this cool technique, and remember to share your successes with me!