I’d like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

This is the perfect time of year to start shaping the bokeh in your photos since everyone is starting to dig out their holiday lights.  It’s easy!  Here’s a great tutorial over at DIY on how to do it.  Basically you need a large aperture lens (like the canon 50mm 1.8), scissors, and black paper board or construction paper.  Check out the tutorial right here.

Here’s a photo I did using that method in Disney with their holiday lights (below).  After I took these and got home, I realized I should have cut out the traditional Mickey Mouse logo!  So that’s one idea for you.  You can cut out any shape you’d like for your bokeh..whether it’s hearts, stars, squares, smiley faces, etc.  You can even use those large scrapbooking hole punches that come in different shapes for the perfect cut out.

There is another option, the Lensbaby.  They offer all sorts of pre-cut shape filters for it.  But, if you don’t have the lensbaby, you can get the same results with the DIY method.

And here’s some photos of how different folks on flickr have created their own DIY bokeh filters, from cutting out construction paper to actually cutting into old lens caps.  There’s all types of ways to make your own filters…

1. Bokeh, 2. DIY (& interchangeable) bokeh lens cap, 3. DIY bokeh heart Tool, 4. DIY – Create your own bokeh, 5. DIY Bokeh., 6. the lens hood for my bokeh fun, 7. DIY bokeh, 8. cutom bokeh DIY, 9. DIY Bokeh, 10. DIY – Create your own bokeh, 11. My D90 with DIY Bokeh, 12. Custom Bokeh A, 13. Heart bokeh thingy, 14. diy bokeh, 15. Make Your Own Shaped Bokeh, 16. star shaped bokeh cap

Happy shooting!!!

I took one of my shots from my May 2009 road trip and textured it in Photoshop the other day.  It’s a photo I took while we were staying at the campground in Arches National Park.  It also made Flickr’s Explore front page, but I missed getting a screen shot of it.  Here’s the photo:

Explored: Nov 21, 2009 #30

If you’re interested in purchasing any of my textured images, you can check out everything I have for sale in my Imagekind gallery right HERE.

There’s many ways out there to search flickr, whether by keyword or color.  It’s a great way to get inspired for your own photos.  Get ideas of how to frame your subjects, get ideas on processing, etc.  If I’m ever at a loss on how I’d like to photograph something, I can always find an idea on flickr.  Here’s a few search engines for you to use:

I just love the Multicolr Search Lab… you can search by one color or several.  Here’s a little color inspiration for you today from flickr using the search and Big Huge Labs Mosaic Maker.

1. Electric, 2. p_0453.jpg, 3. Libelinha // Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), 4. JILL THERE, 5. exit, 6. Leta, 7. Untitled, 8. Cisticola, 9. Bras, 10. Rack, 11. Flap Flap, 12. Sailing the Great Sand Sea, 13. PICT0184, 14. aquarium, 15. Sail me away to a distant shore where everything’s fine…, 16. spout (broken)

Compfight is another flickr search tool, just enter in your search terms and viola’…instant inspiration.  Here’s a little Thanksgiving goodness for you searched using Compfight:

1. Wild Turkeys in Paterson, NJ, 2. Happy Thanksgiving!, 3. Happy Thanksgiving, 4. Turkey Cake Pops, 5. Golden Fall, 6. Happy Thanksgiving!, 7. shrek balloon, 8. Happy Thanksgiving (from a bunch of turkeys), 9. Thankful…….., 10. Fiery colors begin their yearly conquest of the hills, propelled by the autumn winds. Fall is the artist., 11. Cranberry Shower, 12. To My Extended Flickr Family..HAPPY THANKSGIVING!, 13. Kedi on a card, 14. Untitled, 15. Turkey!, 16. Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right

Another search engine is Flickr Storm…here’s one of my favorite subjects searched through Storm…:

1. Our Rosey, 2. Get One, 3. Happy Harlidays, 4. Ingo the Great Dane puppy, 5. The Dance of the Great Dane, 6. A Sweet Ride, 7. What Does Bokeh Smell Like?, 8. No Ma,this ain’t too big!, 9. A dog walks into a bar…, 10. Dog tired, 11. Monster Puppy, 12. Stella, 13. WINSTON….ears…eyes…nose…and tongue, 14. zara cuteness… awww, 15. Fall day with Max at the garden gate, 16. Windy day

Have fun searching flickr!