In photography, bokeh is the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in out-of-focus parts of an image. Bokeh has also been defined as the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light. Differences in lens aberrations and aperture shape cause very different bokeh effects. Some lens designs blur the image in a way that is pleasing to the eye, while others produce distracting or unpleasant blurring (good and bokeh, respectively). Photographers may deliberately use a shallow focus technique to create images with prominent out-of-focus regions, accentuating their lens's bokeh.

Bokeh is often most visible around small background highlights, such as specular reflections and light sources, which is why it is often associated with such areas. However, bokeh is not limited to highlights; blur occurs in all regions of an image which are outside the depth of field.

The term comes from the Japanese word boke (暈け or ボケ), which means blur or haze, or boke-aji (ボケ味), the blur quality. This is derived as a noun form of the verb bokeru, which is written in several ways, with additional meanings and nuances: 暈ける refers to being blurry, hazy or out-of-focus, whereas the 惚ける and 呆ける spellings refer to being mentally hazy, befuddled, childish, senile, or playing stupid. Jisaboke (時差ボケ) (literally, time difference fog) is the term for jet lag. Nebokeru (寝ぼける ) is a verb denoting the actions or condition of someone who is half-asleep, or nodding off. Tobokeru means playing dumb, and toboketa kao refers to a poker face. The related term bokashi (暈かし) means intentional blurring or gradation; that is a noun form of the transitive verb bokasu 暈す which means to make something blurry, rather than to be blurry.

The English spelling bokeh was popularized in 1997 in Photo Techniques magazine, when Mike Johnston, the editor at the time, commissioned three papers on the topic for the May/June 1997 issue; he altered the spelling to suggest the correct pronunciation to English speakers, saying it is properly pronounced with bo as in bone and ke as in Kenneth, with equal stress on either syllable. The spellings bokeh and boke have both been in use since at least 1996, when Merklinger had suggested or Bokeh if you prefer. The term bokeh has appeared in photography books as early as 1998. It is sometimes pronounced /ˈboʊkə/ BOH-kə.

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DNA studies suggest that native American dogs entered North America from Siberia roughly 10,000 years ago, and were then isolated for some 9000 years until the arrival of the first Europeans; these pre-contact dogs exhibited a unique genetic signature that is now almost gone. A study based on sequencing of ancient dog genomes, published in 2020, suggests that this pre-colonial ancestry survives in two Mexican breeds, to the extent of about 4% in the Chihuahua (and some 3% in the Xoloitzcuintli).

Colonial records refer to small, nearly hairless dogs at the beginning of the nineteenth century; one claims that sixteenth-century conquistadores found them plentiful in the region later known as Chihuahua. In a letter written in 1520, Hernan Cortés wrote that the Aztecs raised and sold little dogs as food.

The American Kennel Club first registered a Chihuahua in 1904, Midget, owned by H. Raynor of Texas.

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It's always pleasant to see these flowers during Spring season.😌🌸

Cercis canadensis, the eastern redbud, is a large deciduous shrub or small tree, native to eastern North America from southern Michigan south to central Mexico, east to New Jersey. Species thrive as far west as California and as far north as southern Ontario, roughly corresponding to USDA hardiness zone 6b. It is the state tree of Oklahoma.

Higher classification: Cercis

Scientific name: Cercis canadensis

Family: Fabaceae

Order: Fabales

Class: Magnoliopsida

Biological rank: Species

Subspecies: Cercis canadensis var. texensis · Cercis canadensis subsp. texensis · Cercis canadensis var. orbiculata · Cercis canadensis var. canadensis · Ce…

Symbol of: Oklahoma

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Das Leben ist wie eine Pusteblume, wenn die Zeit gekommen ist, muss jeder alleine weiterfliegen :-)

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One of my favorite childhood insects that still fascinates me to this day. I decided to go out in the field after sunset. It took a great deal of patience to photograph this firefly in the dark with my lens set to manual focus with a aperture of F/1.2. The mosquitos had a buffet with me that night. All in all it was worth it, and I'm happy with this shot.

Sony A7RIII paired with Sony 50mm F/1.2 GM.

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The Praying Mantis is an incredible blessing for gardeners and farmers thanks to its mammoth appetite for plant-destroying pests.

The Praying Mantis was discovered in the United States in 1899. It came from Europe likely via trade transports across the Atlantic. They are highly recognizable creatures, mainly because of their odd shape. Their bodies are relatively large and long with four legs at the abdomen area and two larger legs that appear more like arms. The large Praying Mantis (not 'Preying' although it does that very well) got its name from these two forelegs. When resting, these front legs are held in a way that makes them seem folded in prayer. Those powerful front legs are able to hold down an insect as the mantis eats it alive. The mantis' mouth parts are capable of cutting through the tough exoskeleton of insect prey. They come in a variety of colors, ranging from bright green to dark brown. Like all mantises, or mantids as they are also called, the female is larger than the male, especially in the abdomen. They are hefty insects and females are unlikely to fly because their wings are not able to hold their weight very well. Females can use their wings to scare off would-be predators by fanning them open while raising their 'arms'. The pose startles some predators away, saving the mantis. Smaller males can and do fly. After mating, females have been known to eat the male after reproduction, but that does not always happen. Both genders have binocular vision; one eye can look in a different direction from the other. They appear to have tiny pupils, but those black dots are actually photoreceptors reflecting no light colors. These pseudopupils give an observer the impression of being watched.

Females lay their flat, seed-shaped eggs on a twig in autumn. The freshly laid eggs are then coated with a hard foam that helps the eggs maintain moisture during dry winters, and deters birds and other insects from bothering them as well. In spring, the eggs hatch and pale nymphs, shaped like miniature adults, emerge and immediately begin feasting on smaller insects and sometimes each other.

Mantids are extremely beneficial in gardens. They eat a large volume of pest insects and can be a farmer or gardener's best friend because they help remove infestations of wasps and beetles. A Praying Mantis and even unhatched eggs can be purchased in the spring and released onto a plant in a garden in order to head off any pests that arrive before summer. Larger species of the Mantid family have even been known to eat frogs, lizards, and hummingbirds.

Catching a glimpse of a Praying Mantis is a special thing, but leave it where it is if it has not flown away. It does a great service for growers and is a benefit to the ecosystem. Consider just admiring them, and capture only with a photograph.

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Shot with my 1975 SMC Pentax 50mm F/1.2 wide open.

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The fall webworm is a moth in the family Erebidae known principally for its larval stage, which creates the characteristic webbed nests on the tree limbs of a wide variety of hardwoods in the late summer and fall. It is considered a pest but although unsightly, does not harm otherwise healthy trees. It is well known to commercial tree services and arboriculturists.

Higher classification: Hyphantria

Scientific name: Hyphantria cunea

Family: Erebidae

Order: Lepidoptera

Biological rank: Species

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Prevost's squirrel or Asian tri-colored squirrel is a colourful species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in forests in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and nearby smaller islands, with an introduced population in northern Sulawesi. Although the Prevost's squirrel is declining is some regions because of habitat loss and hunting, the species is not considered threatened since it generally remains common and widespread. It can live in somewhat disturbed habitats and often visits plantations or gardens. It mostly feeds on plant material, especially fruits, but also takes insects.

Higher classification: Callosciurus

Scientific name: Callosciurus prevostii

Family: Squirrel

Order: Rodent

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Blutweiderich (Lythrum saliceria) ist ein Nektarspender von besonderem Wert, auch ist er eine wichtige Futterpflanze für die Raupen aus der Gattung der Nachtpfauenaugen (Saturnia)

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Sibirische Schwertlilie, wildwachsend (Iris sibirica)

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Gilled mushrooms. Shot with my A7RIII and Carl Zeiss Sonnar F/2.8 AEJ Contax wide open.

F/2.8 SS/200/ISO 100

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..so schön kann das Unkraut am Wegesrand sein..im passenden Licht, hat alles seine schönen Seiten! :)

By my way, the small things maybe will be stunning, in the right light = bokehlover ❣️

A perfect moment of harmony—this Tiger Longwing butterfly delicately perched on a vibrant marigold. Nature’s palette never ceases to amaze. 🌼

Grünliche Waldhyazinthe (Platanthera chlorantha) Wilde Orchidee

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" Wer Schmetterlinge lachen hört, der weiß wie Wolken schmecken "

(Novalis)

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Common Name: Golden Longwing Scientific Name: Heliconius hecale butterfly

Shot with my 1964 Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 50mm F/1.8 rare 8 aperture blade version.

This East German Zeiss was manufactured until 1991 and was usually found attached to Praktikas via the M42 mount.

This lens was produced with rare-earth compounds containing lanthanum it is extensively used in carbon lighting applications, especially by the motion picture industry for studio lighting and projection. Lanthanum (III) oxide is used in some camera lenses. It’s added to reduce dispersion and improve the clarity of images.

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"Roter Mohn" in leuchtenden "Rot" ruft den Sommer herbei!

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¿Puede haber algo más bonito en estas fechas que los árboles en flor? A mí me tienen locamente enamorada.

Das wilde Alpenveilchen wächst heute noch in der Natur und steht unter Naturschutz!

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Have a lovely summer day! 🌞

Good Morning Dear friends!!

My aunt felt ill suddenly and was hospitalized. She was in a coma, and after six days she was deceased. I had so many questions going through my mind, so many emotions were flowing through me and I knew I could turn to my camera to help express it.

A red vented bulbul red bird in mustard field~

Bit lucky to catch hold of him

A slightest camera click should shoo him off immediately 😀😊

A red dahlia flower.

Dahlias are perennial plants with tuberous roots and are members of the family Asteraceae

Snowdrops in the last evening light!

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The ‘little white forest bird’ is the white helleborine (Cephalanthera damasonium), a species of orchid that, after flowering in May to June, often produces only half-open, white to cream-coloured flowers that are self-pollinating and therefore rarely visited by insects. It grows in sparse deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests on calcareous, nutrient-poor soils and is widespread in many regions.

Danke für euren Besuch, Sternchen, Awards und Kommentare! :)

Thanks for visits, faves, awards and comments! :)

Im Volksmund sagen wir auch Blausternchen dazu (Scilla bifiolia)

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I appreciate it! :)

Lemon Pansy on Lantana—macro grace through Nikon’s lens.

Minolta 50mm/1.7