So we have all been around the block about “bokeh.” It is firmly entrenched in the photographic lexicon, and recently, I have been seeing many posts and videos that cite, “incredible dreamy quality.”
Could it be that simple? Is the goal of some of our photography to evoke dreams? Is that what I was seeking when I bought an amazing, beautifully-made AF-D Nikkor 85mm f/1.4? I have been experimenting with this “quality” using this lens. I also attempted to bring that “quality” to some of my images on our anniversary vacation last October using my AF-S 50mm f/1.4.
I will have more thoughts on this. What would you like to know or add to the discussion?
I think many of those marketers who use “dreamy” actually mean “creamy”, in that the background is smooth and unbroken, which I’m sure you’ll agree isn’t quite “bokeh”.
Also: I think what many of us (me too, at one point) liked about our first encounters with bokeh in photography was the unconscious similarity to certain movie scenes in our memories. I now realize that my initial fascination with bokeh was simply an infatuation – not nearly as practical or helpful as I once thought. (Certainly not for my photography purposes.)