How to Create Heart Shaped Bokeh
Meredith Gradle • February 14, 2017

Since today is Valentine’s Day, we thought we would share a tutorial on how to get heart shaped bokeh in your images! It’s quick, easy to make and produces some really fun images.



What you need:

Lens that has a wide aperture like the 50mm 1.4 or 1.8


Black Paper


Scissors, Xacto Knife & Tape



image found via pinterest


How To

  1. Cut your sheet to make two parts of a cover for your lens – one skinny strip to fit the circumference of the lens, and a circle that is the same diameter of the lens.
  2.  In the middle of your piece of circle paper, cut out a heart. Keep it relatively small, around 15mm.
  3. Tape your skinny strip to fit the outside of your lens. Then tape the circle to your paper ring you created. This should fit right over the front of your lens. (And you won’t have to tape anything to your lens)
  4. Set your camera to its lowest aperture. I like to leave my camera in manual focus so that I can blur things in the background like lights, trees, texture items, etc. This is what will produce the bokeh.

 

Have you ever used tried to create shapes with bokeh? Show us your images by tagging us on Instagram @iris_works!




Let’s get start saving you time in your business! Sign up for a free 30 day trial with Iris and we’ll have you organized and automated in no time.


Recent posts

year-end planning for photographers
By Lauren McConihay December 1, 2025
Learn how to use Iris Works to reflect on your photography business in 2025, identify improvements, and set clear goals for a successful 2026.
holiday client communication for photographers
By Lauren McConihay November 17, 2025
Keep holiday season client communication stress-free with Iris Works’ automation, booking, and workflow tools.
Iris Black Friday sale: 30% off annual subscriptions. Use code BlackFriday2025.
By Lauren McConihay November 17, 2025
Black Friday is a golden opportunity for photographers to boost sales, book more clients, and grow their business. To make the most of it, you’ll want systems in place that keep everything running smoothly. Here’s how to get your photography business Black Friday-ready with Iris Works.
Show More