For this week’s challenge, Sophie invites us to use the out of focus areas in our photos as the primary reason for selecting the shot. The first two and fourth photos in this series were taken at Long Beach, WA.

I open with a shot of a misty sunset behind stark spikes of dune grass. Photographing background with the focus on an image in the foreground is one of my favorite ways to achieve Bokeh.

As I crept through the dunes to get as close to this perching eagle as I could, I wondered if the out of focus grasses between us would detract from the image. To my eye, they add softness and context to the photograph.

Bright red seed pods dangling in the foreground are given a frame of reference and a color pop by the unfocused tree branches, foliage and sky of the background.

As marshes recede and return to meadows, gnats and mosquitos multiply, creating excellent foraging for swallows. The birds dart through the air so rapidly, it’s impossible for me to get a shot of them on the wing. For an instant this one settled on a branch, and I was able to get a photo in its natural habitat.

One of my favorites, this ground level shot creates a lush misty mood with all the meadow greenery in the foreground and the creek gently flowing into a foggy distance.

Thanks to Sophie for stretching my understanding of photography to include the term Bokeh!

Wherever your camera takes you, please honor our earth, be kind and stay safe.🐾