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Thread: Noob question: how do you pronounce "Bokeh?"

  1. #1

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    Noob question: how do you pronounce "Bokeh?"

    Hi guys, I think I understand that "bokeh" refers to the way a lens renders out-of-focus stuff when you're shooting with low depth of field. I've made a few low-DOF images in my Katrina series, so I may want to use "bokeh" in a conversation sometime. Could someone please save me from sounding like a dork and tell me how to pronounce it?

    And by the way, the Wehman is here and it's awesome. More on that when I've had a chance to work with it some...

    ~cj

    www.chrisjordan.com

  2. #2

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    Re: Noob question: how do you pronounce "Bokeh?"

    In a conversation I say all possible ways to pronounce it one after another and end with "or whatever its called"

    But seriously I say "boh-keh" with a short lower case 'o' sound. or else "bow-keh". I'm probably wrong though

  3. #3

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    Re: Noob question: how do you pronounce "Bokeh?"

    Try this:

    photonotes.org
    jbhogan

  4. #4
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    Re: Noob question: how do you pronounce "Bokeh?"

    The photonotes.org entry is not quite right.

    Chris, in Japanese it's pronounced with long "o" (like "hold") and short "e" (like "hen").

  5. #5

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    Re: Noob question: how do you pronounce "Bokeh?"

    I've always pronounced it fuzz-eee.
    Michael W. Graves
    Michael's Pub

    If it ain't broke....don't fix it!

  6. #6
    Photographer, Machinist, etc. Jeffrey Sipress's Avatar
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    Re: Noob question: how do you pronounce "Bokeh?"

    When exactly did this word come into use. I've been photographing for a long time, and just heard of this term about two years ago. Is it kinda like 'latte' and 'couture', and other new age words just made up?

  7. #7

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    Re: Noob question: how do you pronounce "Bokeh?"

    Wikipedia entry on bokeh: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh

    The links at the bottom of the page show some history of the term. Probably the first English-language article on Bokeh is the Photo Techniques article in 1997.

  8. #8
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    Re: Noob question: how do you pronounce "Bokeh?"

    Jeffrey, the term "bokeh" is Japanese, and its use in the Japanese photographic literature to refer to OOF character dates back many decades at least.

    To my knowledge, its first appearance in the English-language photography literature was in a special feature published in the May/June 1997 issue of Photo Techniques magazine. There were three articles - by John Kennerdell, Harold Merklinger, and yours truly - as well as a related comment by Mike Johnston, who was editor of PT at the time. The feature was Mike's idea, and grew out of a long series of informal message-board and email exchanges among us. Harold's article, a semi-technical explanation of bokeh, is available for downloading from his web site:

    http://www.trenholm.org/hmmerk/ATVB.pdf

    The other articles, unfortunately, are not available online.
    Last edited by Oren Grad; 14-Jul-2006 at 15:00.

  9. #9
    Photographer, Machinist, etc. Jeffrey Sipress's Avatar
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    Re: Noob question: how do you pronounce "Bokeh?"

    Thanks, Oren.

  10. #10

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    Re: Noob question: how do you pronounce "Bokeh?"

    Quote Originally Posted by Oren Grad
    Jeffrey, the term "bokeh" is Japanese, and its use in the Japanese photographic literature to refer to OOF character dates back many decades at least.
    Always precede saying 'bokeh' with a deep bow, speak the word clearly and with clipped inflection, quickly follow the speaking of the word with a loud "hai", and complete the ancient ritual with a deep bow.
    Last edited by BrianShaw; 14-Jul-2006 at 15:33.

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