Tutorial: How to get bokeh in SL

Bokeh isn’t just for real life photographers. You can get it in Second Life, too.

What is bokeh? Literally, it’s blur. That’s what bokeh means in Japanese. But it’s so much more than that. That blur can be so beautiful, so pleasing to the eye. Photographers love bokeh; they covet that lovely, blurry effect I’ve tried to demonstrate in this featured photo, Bokeh Poppies.

Here’s how you can get bokeh in SL:

1. Find a spot with nice sun and scenery that breaks up the light, like tall grass, foliage, or a field of flowers. Or even something with lots of lights. It all works. You just don’t want a flat, even background like a wall.

2. Turn on your DoF.
Alt+P will bring up Phototools in FS. Turn on your DoF under the DoF tab.

3. Set your f-number low (Also on the DoF tab.). This gives you…