Morning Dew Plus Grass Equals Great Bokeh

Having a creative mind is a wonderful gift. Whatever your discipline, you love the thrill of making new things out of nothing. Sometimes when the creativity slows it can land you in a rut. When this happens to me, I like to grab the camera, and head out in the backyard for some dewy grass exploration.To get the best shots you need to be at ground level, so be prepared to get a little wet. I like to use something to kneel on. My go to knee pads are usually two disc golf frisbees since they are always readily available in the yard.

For the best results you want something with a shorter focal distance, or at least the ability to zoom in tight on the tiny drops of water on the grass. Auto focus can have a heck of a time finding points with all the glistening light, so you may employ a tripod and manual focus.

While most people grab a fast lens with an f/stop of 2.8 less when they want to capture bokeh, you really will be fine with f/4 from this close. It's actually fun to play with the different stops to see how the bokeh balls change. You should always be learning and experimenting.

Do some exploring to find grass blades that stand out a bit, or have exceptional water drops on them. If you are lucky you may find some willing insect models, or even a fungi. Don't be afraid to stage some shots for more interest. I probably could have boosted the appeal for these photos with some Lego mini figures. Don't worry if it's been done. It has pretty much all been done, but not your exact way so go for it!

These photos are also very fun to play with in Lightroom. Using gradient and radial adjustments I will try and sculpt the light and bring in splashes of alternate colors. Usually this is when the shots start looking a bit magical.

In the end I feel that I have once again created something out of nothing, and uplifted my creative spirit. Of all things in life, the creative mind is an important thing to nurture. I hope I never lose motivation to create. Check out some larger versions of the featured photos, as well as some additional ones below in the gallery.

By the way, I don't say the word "bokeh" right at all. If you are wondering the correct way to pronounce it check out How to Say Bokeh by Wouter du Toit.