The term comes from the Japanese word boke the “blur quality”. The Japanese term boke is also used in the sense of a mental haze or senility. The term bokashi is related, meaning intentional blurring or gradation.
The English spelling bokeh was popularized in 1997 in Photo Techniques magazine, when Mike Johnston, the editor at the time, commissioned three papers on the topic for the March/April 1997 issue; he altered the spelling to suggest the correct pronunciation to English speakers, saying “it is properly pronounced with bo as in bone and ke as in Kenneth, with equal stress on either syllable”.
4 Comments
Tom Dills
I’ve enjoyed Mike’s recent reference to the made-up term “ōtofōkasu” as the Japanese translation of the Americanized word! However you say it, it’s good to have good blur, and you’ve got good blur!
Monte Stevens
Now if I can just keep my eyes from blurring. Have been noticing some degradation in my right eye. Called to make an appointment and discovered my Humana Gold Plan B was changed this year. The change was dropping my vision coverage. 🙁
Paul
Nice “bokeh” and a history lesson to boot! 🙂
Monte Stevens
Thanks, Paul!!!