Today I wanted to share a technique I learned from the fantastic blog at Kevin & Amanda, on how to create custom bokeh effects.

For the actual technique I defer to their tutorial; they do a fantastic job explaining this cute, easy technique for creating unique photos.

The photos in this post are some of my experiments with this technique, from having fun with my Christmas tree….

… to using it in photography of my jewellery. This photo, and the one below it were created using cut-up ropes of mardi gras beads in place of lights, to allow me to place them around my jewellery more precisely.

It’s fun, easy and cheap to try. I used construction paper and my 50mm f1.8 Canon lens. You can extend it to fun portrait photography as well – imagine the sunlight through the trees, or the lights of the city at night… the possibilities are endless!