THE SETUP TOOLS AND CAMERA KIT

You can create stunning bokeh effects with just a few everyday items

1 BLACK CARD

Thick black paper will help prevent light leaks, and is what you’ll need to create a DIY aperture disc. We’ve settled on a heart, but the aperture can be any shape you wish. When placed in front of your lens and used with a wide-open aperture, it’ll transform the bokeh into your chosen shape.

2 CRAFT UTENSILS

You’ll need a pencil to draw around your lens and mark out a template on the black card, which then needs to be cut out. We’d recommend using sticky tape to fix the card components together, so that your aperture disc stays securely in one piece when you’re out and about shooting.

3 TAPE MEASURE

It’s important that your aperture shape is placed directly in the centre of the disc. You can use a tape measure or ruler to find and mark the diameter of your template, both horizontally and vertically. If your measurements are right, the lines will meet right in the centre of your disc.

4 SHARP CRAFT KNIFE

You’ll need a super-sharp craft knife to cut out your bokeh pattern accurately and crisply – any rough edges from a blunt blade will show up in the bokeh of your final images. Be sure to use a cutting mat to protect your furniture, and always take care to avoid accidents.

5 FAST PRIME LENS

A prime lens has a fixed focal length, so the lens barrel doesn’t move, and this should allow your aperture disc to sit a bit more securely on your lens. Most primes – like our AF-S 50mm f/1.8G – also boast wide maximum apertures, making it easier to create prominent blobs of bokeh.

6 CAMERA

Any DSLR or mirrorless camera with manual and semi-automatic modes will work for this technique – you just need to be able to control your aperture value and achieve a shallow enough depth of field to produce prominent bokeh shapes with your DIY aperture disc.