Bokeh is a beautiful effect that can add depth and dimension to your photos. It is created by out-of-focus areas of the image, resulting in a soft, dreamy background that makes your subject stand out. While you can create bokeh with artificial light sources, natural light can create magic. Here are five tips for capturing the magic of bokeh with natural light.

Choose the right lens

To create bokeh, you need a lens with a wide maximum aperture (low f-number). A lens with a focal length of 70mm or more is generally recommended for capturing bokeh. A wide aperture will provide a shallow depth of field, which is key for creating bokeh. The wider the aperture, the shallower the depth of field, and the more blur you’ll get in the background.

Find the right light source

The quality of light can make a big difference in the quality of your bokeh. Look for soft, diffused light to create a gentle glow in the background. You want a light source that is not too bright or dim. Avoid harsh, direct sunlight, which can create harsh shadows and detract from the beauty of the bokeh.

One great source of natural light for bokeh is wet foliage after it rains, especially in the early morning. The water droplets on the leaves can create a beautiful, sparkling background that adds a magical quality to your photos.

Other natural light sources for bokeh can include reflections in water or shiny surfaces, such as glass or metal. Experiment with different light sources to find the one that works best for your subject and composition.

Use a wide aperture

To create a shallow depth of field and blur the background, use a wide aperture setting on your camera. Start with an aperture of f/2.8 or wider, and adjust as needed based on the amount of bokeh you want to create. Remember that smaller apertures (higher f-numbers) will result in a deeper depth of field and less blur.

Position your subject carefully

The position of your subject to the background can significantly impact the quality of the bokeh. Try to place your subject as far away from the background as possible to create more separation and blur. The farther your subject is from the background, the more blurred the background will be. You can also experiment with different angles to find the best position for your subject.

Experiment with composition

Bokeh can add a beautiful, dreamy quality to your photos. Feel free to get creative with your compositions. Try placing your subject off-center or using leading lines to draw the viewer’s eye toward the bokeh in the background. You can also experiment with different depths of field to create different effects.

Ultimately, capturing the magic of bokeh with natural light can be a beautiful and rewarding experience. You can capture stunning photos showcasing bokeh’s beauty by choosing the right lens, finding the right light source, using a wide aperture, positioning your subject carefully, and experimenting with composition. So grab your camera, head outside, and start capturing the magic of bokeh with natural light.

Documentary photographer Sean Sutton tells Bryony Cottam what he has learned from 30 years on the road

Travel, says Sean Sutton, can help you find your purpose in life. Although, he adds, that very much depends on you. ‘There are lots of ways of travelling. You could go to Thailand and spend the whole time on the beach, maybe try some Thai food. But if you’re inquisitive, if you realise that the world is a lot bigger than what you see around you, it can be revelatory.’

For Sutton, it was travelling through Southeast Asia in 1988 that inspired his 30-year career as a documentary photographer. He’d been taking ‘pretty pictures’, as he calls them, of the countries’ vibrant culture and traditions. ‘In hindsight, I could sense that I was struggling to understand the point of what I was doing,’ he says. ‘It just didn’t seem meaningful.’ 

When he stumbled across a situation on the Thailand–Burma border (a wave of protests and riots had been sweeping across Burma, reaching a peak that August in what’s now known as the 8888 Uprising), he realised he had an opportunity to make a difference. ‘It was a moment where everything sort of came together.’

Sutton would go on to spend two years working in the jungle with Burmese refugees and resistance groups. ‘That was my foundation course in photojournalism,’ he says. 

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Since then, his work has taken him to more than 40 countries, where he has focused on amplifying marginalised voices, particularly in areas of conflict and humanitarian crisis, often working directly with aid organisations. ‘Photography is a really powerful tool for telling stories,’ he says. ‘Collaborating with NGOs and using images to tell the story of crises and injustices is one of the most effective ways to support the organisations working on the ground.’ 

Sutton maintains that, even today, documentary photography can reveal the truth of a moment in time. ‘It’s all about how honest you are as a photographer,’ he says. ‘I’ve certainly seen scenes that have been orchestrated, and that’s fine, as long as it’s been disclosed. Photographers who are not honest really do a disservice to all of us who are out there trying to show the truth.’

To the experienced eye, it can be easy to spot a manipulated image, but sometimes it can be difficult to know what to believe when different media are sharing different views, and some issues never make the news at all. But Sutton thinks that travel can help us to fill in the gaps in our knowledge and better understand the wider world.

 ‘Take Laos,’ he says. Between 1967 and 1973, the USA dropped 260 million bombs on Laos – a covert mission that the US government tried to keep secret for years – making it the most heavily bombed country in history. ‘A lot of people travel to Laos,’ says Sutton, ‘and they inevitably find out about its recent history and are quite horrified by it. Many often feel mobilised to do something to help the organisations that are trying to solve the ongoing problems there.’ 

Sutton cautions that while tourism can benefit regions that have been affected by disasters and conflict, especially if communities have been reliant on tourists for income, visitors should think carefully about why they want to visit. There’s a lot that a traveller might not know about a new country they visit, even if they do their research before they go. 

For that reason, Sutton says it’s important to pay attention while you’re there. ‘It’s not just about written rules and often it’s not about religion – it’s about how people feel, their culture and their way of living. In a lot of places, people are very tolerant, even when tourists are behaving very badly, so you need to be sensitive to how they – and you – behave, partially because people are likely to be more accepting and that can make the whole experience more rewarding.’