> Apropos my reply minutes ago to Ken about bokeh, I've been experimenting off
> and on with techniques to convert edgy
> bokeh to smooth.
>
> This is the latest result, on an image specifically taken for the test.
> <http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/tech/Bokeh/_MG_6431.htm>
>
> Too much hand work as yet, but I've made progress in automation, and am
> starting to like the results.
You might be able to created a semi-automated effect, but I can't help
but think that variations between cameras and ISOs are going to fight
you a bit. Or is it just my own experience with noisy/grainy/nasty
olympus and/or film images shining through?
The problem I have with this is Sports Illustrated does this all the
time to their published images and frankly it looks aweful. Once you
are aware of the effect, it becomes a distraction. It's gotten a
little better in the past couple of years with an improvement in the
camera files, but they take a nasty, high-iso image (jpeg at that with
all the "worms" and then apply the blur effect to the background. So
you have a subject with one look and the smearing applied to the
background.
Frankly, it looks disgusting.
So, when I see the same thing done to a "fine art image", it curdles
my toes and curls my stomach. You might as well just start
substituting other backgrounds into your images. Granted, I'm taking
kinda a harsh tone on this, but you've ripped off a scab and I've got
to bleed a bit.
Not that this is an evil project you're working on, and it does create
another arrow for your quiver, but should be something that is used to
save an image, not provide an excuse for not doing it right in the
beginning. But even then, if the image needs this to save it, then
maybe the image isn't that good in the first place?
Preaching to myself here. Not you.
AG
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