El Bokeh Wall is a technique to create beautiful bokeh backgrounds using some aluminum foil. Here in this tutorial Laya Gerlock explains how to do it.

You can find Laya Gerlock on the web: Website (h/t: Petapixel, Boredpanda)

Laya Gerlock explains how to create “El Bokeh Wall”

Bokeh Photography Tips - How To Make Beautiful Backgrounds Using Aluminum Foil

What you’ll need

Bokeh Photography Tips - How To Make Beautiful Backgrounds Using Aluminum Foil

  1. A camera and a large aperture lens
  2. Speedlights
  3. A wireless trigger
  4. Gels
  5. Aluminium foil or silver wrapping paper
  6. Scissors and tape

Step 1: “Get your aluminium foil or wrapping paper and crumple it”

Bokeh Photography Tips - How To Make Beautiful Backgrounds Using Aluminum Foil

Bokeh Photography Tips - How To Make Beautiful Backgrounds Using Aluminum Foil

Step 2: “Lay it flat and you should get something like this”

Bokeh Photography Tips - How To Make Beautiful Backgrounds Using Aluminum Foil

Step 3: “Tape it to your background a distance away from the subject”

Bokeh Photography Tips - How To Make Beautiful Backgrounds Using Aluminum Foil

Step 4: “Get your speedlight and choose a colored gel for the background that you want”

Bokeh Photography Tips - How To Make Beautiful Backgrounds Using Aluminum Foil

Step 5: “Place your speedlight with gel below your shooting table and point it towards your background (the crumpled aluminium foil)”

Bokeh Photography Tips - How To Make Beautiful Backgrounds Using Aluminum Foil

Step 6: “For the main light I used a speedlight with a small softbox and diffused it some more with an acrylic sheet in front”

Bokeh Photography Tips - How To Make Beautiful Backgrounds Using Aluminum Foil

Here are the results:

Bokeh Photography Tips - How To Make Beautiful Backgrounds Using Aluminum Foil

Bokeh Photography Tips - How To Make Beautiful Backgrounds Using Aluminum Foil

Bokeh Photography Tips - How To Make Beautiful Backgrounds Using Aluminum Foil