Playing with Christmas Presents - 1

... one small - but rather cute - present I received was some "bokeh templates" for the camera.  "Bokeh" comes from the Japanese "boke" which means blur' or 'haze' - in camera-speak it's defined as "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light".

All clever stuff - but what to do with "bokeh templates" ??? Well you strap them to the front of the lens and go for it.  First attempts as follows ...

OK - not exactly first attempt (more like tenth !!) - but I think I've got the basic idea - looks like you need to focus on something close - with some light/lights in the background (!!) - and the shape of the template defines what happens to that 'out of focus' background light.  I'll certainly be trying out more of this (probably some outdoor evening stuff with Christmas lights).

(and before anyone asks - that Lego "Millennium Falcon" model is NOT mine !).

Today - off out trying the new "Christmas Lens" (bought in the Boxing Day sales using my Christmas Postman tips - so grateful thanks to my customers in Greenfield and Uppermill !).  When I've been out walking in the past, I've normally carried a couple of lenses - a 28-105mm and a 70-300mm - and to be honest it's been a bit of a pain - always the "wrong one on the camera" when a opportunity arises.  I decided therefore to go for a '"superzoom"-type lens.  In a perfect (rich person's ?) world, the Canon 18-200mm (with Image Stabilisation) would be the choice - but it's well over £400 - so it's 'cut cloth' etc, and I've gone for the cheaper option - a Tamron 18-200mm  (no IS or VC - call it what you will) that came out at just under £140.  Horses for courses I guess - but we'll see how it goes ...
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