Utilize foreground bokeh to give your images a new dimension

Bokeh doesn't have to be only in the background says photographer and Fstoppers writer, Jason Vinson. He has written a guide about how to use foreground bokeh.

When discussing bokeh, we often think of soft, out of focus areas in the background of an image, but Jason argues that foreground bokeh “can be just as important and impactful as having bokeh behind the subject.”

Foreground bokeh acts similarly to background bokeh and requires an object to be relatively far from your subject, just in front of them rather than behind. The closer to your lens the out of focus element is, the larger it will appear. Even items as small as Christmas lights can appear very large in your image if they’re close to your lens.

Speaking of lenses, lens selection is important for creating gorgeous foreground bokeh. The longer the focal length of the lens, all else equal, the larger the foreground bokeh will appear. The aperture makes a big difference too, as the wider the aperture, the larger the foreground bokeh elements.

To see more tips on how to utilize foreground bokeh to give your images a new dimension, such as shooting through drinking glasses like in the first embedded image, check out the full article including additional image examples here. 

Jason is one half of the husband and wife team at Vinson Images. Be sure to check out Jason and Chasnie's work at their website and on Instagram. 

(Seen via Fstoppers. Index image)