For this week’s selective color challenge, I chose to work on a bokeh image I took when my husband and I were walking through a decorated neighborhood recently. There were 150 houses all lit up. Some had music that you could tune your car radio to and the lights would move to the beat of the music. It was quite something!
Despite all the magnificent house decorations and opportunities to shoot entire lighting scenes, I went there for the sole reason of taking bokeh. This image was originally all in gold, so I changed it to black and white and then used a mask and brush to reveal the gold. I’ve included the original at the bottom in a slideshow with some other bokeh shots.
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!
For the entire gallery, please check Leanne Cole’s blog later today.
December 23, 2014 at 1:36 am
They work really well as a series Laura, they look great. I’ve never tried doing this.
December 23, 2014 at 6:56 am
Thank you Leanne. I’d like to try different things with it too sometime. I’m glad you like the series. 🙂
December 23, 2014 at 1:38 am
You do love these ones… I have to post my fake lunar landscape later tonight
December 23, 2014 at 6:57 am
I do Raj lol. Fake lunar landscape eh? Sounds interesting!
December 23, 2014 at 2:28 am
Laura, you Legend. These look fantastic 🙂 I was trying something similar and had a massive failure 🙂
December 23, 2014 at 6:59 am
you legend??? In my own mind perhaps! 😉 Thank you, Eddie. I appreciate it. Merry Christmas!
December 23, 2014 at 3:29 am
It’s like you flashed and I’m seeing spots now. 🙂 Beautiful and a wonderful idea.
December 23, 2014 at 7:00 am
haha true! Think of how it was looking through the viewfinder! Thank you 🙂
December 23, 2014 at 3:38 am
Bokeh and Christmas light are so beautiful
December 23, 2014 at 7:00 am
I love them too Nelson, thank you.
December 23, 2014 at 3:44 am
Lovely!
December 23, 2014 at 7:00 am
Thank you! Merry Christmas 🙂
December 23, 2014 at 5:36 am
Interesting use of the technique – nice to go out with a purpose and come back with useful images. Hope you and your have a lovely holiday as well. Best to you for the coming year.
December 23, 2014 at 7:01 am
Thanks so much Robert. I love christmas lights! Thanks for the holiday wishes….I look forward to an abandoned christmas tree….you know, those ones on the sides of the roads. 🙂
December 23, 2014 at 7:23 am
Well, my Christmas post may or may not be well received, but it has been “brewing” since Summer.
December 23, 2014 at 7:25 am
Hmmmmm……thinks…..
December 23, 2014 at 7:05 am
Beautiful pictures. 🙂
December 23, 2014 at 7:07 am
Thank you Vidur 🙂
December 23, 2014 at 7:45 am
Too beautiful…!
December 23, 2014 at 8:56 am
thank you 😀
December 23, 2014 at 8:14 am
Merry Christmas my friend and may your paw heal so you can skip up Mount Diablo!
December 23, 2014 at 8:57 am
Merry Christmas to you too Juan. hehe My paw is healing. I think in a few months I will be good as new. 😀
December 23, 2014 at 8:33 am
Reblogged this on S.O.U.L. S-P-A-C-E and commented:
Fun captures Laura & I like the collage you’ve created ~ Happy Holidays!
December 23, 2014 at 8:54 am
Absolutely beautiful
December 23, 2014 at 8:57 am
Thank you!
December 23, 2014 at 8:55 am
Magnificent!
December 23, 2014 at 8:57 am
Thank you much 🙂
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December 23, 2014 at 9:15 am
Absolutely breathtaking, Laura. Bless you for giving me this Gift today! Love, Amy
December 23, 2014 at 10:07 am
Thank you Amy :)))
December 23, 2014 at 11:06 am
Hope you have great Christmas Laura……thanks for all the support throughout 2014
December 23, 2014 at 12:02 pm
Thank you Mark, Merry Xmas to you too. I appreciate your support as well. See you in 2015!
December 23, 2014 at 11:35 am
After looking up the definition of Bokeh and educating myself a bit, I can now say that yours are wonderful indeed. Thank-you for sharing, it must have taken quite some time to capture these. Thanks again.
December 23, 2014 at 12:03 pm
I’m glad you liked the bokeh. Thank you very much!
December 23, 2014 at 11:50 am
Thank you!
Our best wishes for a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year, Laura!
God jul!
Dina, Klausbernd, Siri & Selma
December 23, 2014 at 12:04 pm
You are so welcome Dina et al! 😉 Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to you too!
December 23, 2014 at 12:29 pm
That was a lovely and surprising twist on Monochrome Madness! Great shot Laura.
December 23, 2014 at 2:11 pm
Thanks much Cardinal 🙂
December 23, 2014 at 2:16 pm
I LOVE these! What a beautiful way to showcase the lights and bokeh! They are just gorgeous, each one a unique piece of art 🙂 Great idea for this challenge too, I love that there is just enough gold, moving your eye through the image. Merry Christmas, Laura. I hope your holidays are full of joy and lots of bokeh!
December 23, 2014 at 2:57 pm
Thank you Carrie! I love the holiday full of joy and lots of bokeh hehehehe.
December 23, 2014 at 2:57 pm
And Merry Christmas!!!
December 23, 2014 at 5:46 pm
Very pretty – maybe Santa will bring you a Meyer Trioplan macro lens, so you can explore out of focus speculars more…
December 24, 2014 at 6:49 am
Thank you and thanks for mentioning those lenses. I was just looking some images with it. WOW! Merry Christmas Tom.
December 26, 2014 at 11:21 am
The Meyer Trioplan 100/2.8 has more blades than most lenses (15, I think) so the speculars are very round and the bokeh very creamy. They used to be cheap, but not now!
December 26, 2014 at 2:47 pm
I noticed! They are on the pricey side. I loved learning about new lenses so thanks for that.
December 23, 2014 at 7:22 pm
Gorgeous .. love the colours. Merry Christmas Laura 🙂
December 24, 2014 at 6:50 am
Thank you Julie. Merry Christmas to you too!
December 23, 2014 at 10:47 pm
colours of music!! Blessings Laura!!!! Enjoy the holiday!!
December 24, 2014 at 6:51 am
I should’ve put a christmas video in there!! lol Thank you Hannah. Merry Christmas to you!
December 24, 2014 at 12:58 am
Bokeh-licious!
December 24, 2014 at 6:52 am
I love that word! Thank you. 🙂
December 24, 2014 at 3:04 pm
Ahhh, painting with light 🙂 One of my favourite things! Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year, Laura xxx
December 24, 2014 at 6:16 pm
Thank you Sarah! You too!
December 28, 2014 at 7:34 pm
Oooh. I actually took one halfway decent bokeh shot this Christmas as well. 🙂
December 28, 2014 at 7:59 pm
Cool! Where is it?
December 28, 2014 at 8:20 pm
On my FB page
December 29, 2014 at 6:57 am
The goldish ornament? I just clicked ‘like’. 🙂 I think to get the round circles part of bokeh (if that’s the image you’re talking about), you’d need more separation between the ornament and the lights. I’m addicted! I’ll have to try it out on my new camera sometime.
December 29, 2014 at 2:34 pm
Yeh, I tried that as well but had issues with blurring because I wasn’t using my tripod. Next time.
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