Merry Christmas Everybody by Terry Grealey

5 questions about this photo:

Q1. What equipment did you use?
I used a Sony Alpha A350 for the shot. This was the last shot I took with this camera, as I upgraded to the A380.

Q2. What settings did you have on your camera?
Exp = 1.6 seconds
Apeture = f5.6
Focal length = 45mm
ISO = 100
The shot was taken with a manual focus.

Q3. What software did you use during the post-production?
The original shot was taken in RAW and because Photoshop doesn't recognise Sony raw files, I had to convert the file to jpeg using Sony Image Suite. Then I did my usual tweeking (saturation, sharpness, etc) using Photoshop CS4.

Q4. What is the subject of the photo?
The subject was centred around the unusual Christmas tree baubles that depicted the countries of the world, in an attempt to show the global message of Christmas (Peace on earth kinda thing).

Q5. How did you come up with the idea of this shot?
Again my initial thought was, how great would it be to incorporate the image to depict peace on earth. The depth of field was provided by the lights on my Christmas tree.

Christmas by Jill Maguire

5 questions about this photo:

Q1. What equipment did you use?
Nikon D700 and a 50mm F/1.4 lens that my husband gave me for Christmas (I had just opened it and put it on the camera before I took this shot).

Q2. What settings did you have on your camera?
Aperture priority set to f/1.4 (there were two overhead lights but the room was still pretty dark), 1/100 shutter, ISO 2500. For indoor shots I always use manual focus point and I aim for the eyes. I also set the ISO to whatever will give me at least a 1/60s shutter speed.

Q3. What software did you use during the post-production?
Lightroom 3 using a built-in preset.

Q4. Who is the model?
My dog Brady.

Q5. How did you come up with the idea of this shot?
I was taking pictures of Brady tearing up wrapping paper and I knew I wanted Christmas tree bokeh in the background. I picked this shot because it looks like he's exhaling bokeh dots.

Extra Q: Please share an interesting or funny fact that happened while working on this photograph.
While in this position, Brady looked at me and burped, which I also caught on camera. That shot is in the comments of the main shot uploaded on Flickr.

More Light by Barb Dickie

5 questions about this photo:

Q1. What equipment did you use?
Nikon d300s and 50mm f/1.4 lens, Manfrotto tripod. The three champagne glasses are filled with sparkling water and placed on a homemade light table. Small Christmas tree lights provide the coloured lights. Homemade bokeh filter alter the shape of the bokehs.

Q2. What settings did you have on your camera?
The final image is a montage of four:
The glasses on the light table (background image) - 50mm 1.4 lens at f2.8, 1/90 sec, iso 400.
Bokeh image 1 (circles - no bokeh filter) - 50mm lens, ISO 400, f/1.4, 1/50 sec (under exposed 2 full stops)
Bokeh image 2 (snowflakes with bokeh filter) - 50mm lens, ISO 400, f/1.4, 1/30 sec (under exposed 2 full stops)
Bokeh image 3 (hearts with bokeh filter) - 50mm lens, ISO 400, f/1.4, 1/20 sec (under exposed 2 full stops)

Q3. What software did you use during the post-production?
Basic adjustments of each of the 4 images made in Lightroom 2. Final montage created in Photoshop 2. All done in layers. Some cloning, opacity reduction, transforming of each bokeh layer.

Q4. What is the subject of the photo?
The photo is a festive take on sparkling water.

Q5. How did you come up with the idea of this shot?
It was in answer to Flickr Group “Our Daily Challenge’s” topic – More Light on December 23. I felt that an image making use of a light table with the addition of three different bubble bokehs would qualify as more.

I have been experimenting with my new light table and bokeh filter and thought a montage using the two new tools was in order and Christmas/New Year provides a relevant context. I had seen many images using bokehs as bubbles and thought I would try my hand.

Extra Q: Please share an interesting or funny fact that happened while working on this photograph.
I kept losing the bubbles in the glasses and I drank the water and refilled but gave up as it was impossible to attain a uniform bubble density. I was thinking if this had been champagne, I never would have completed the image.

Infinitely by Carles Viñas

5 questions about this photo:

Q1. What equipment did you use?
My equipment is a Nikon D90 with a Nikkor 18-200 mm VR.

Q2. What settings did you have on your camera?
I am varying the adjustments following the capture that wish and based on the idea that the image facing the later edition has when seeing. On this shot the settings were: 200mm, F/6.3, 1/800s, ISO 200.

Q3. What software did you use during the post-production?
Lightroom 3.0 and Phosothop CS4

Q4. What is the subject of the photo?
A low tile roof with the worn away roofing tiles.

Q5. How did you come up with the idea of this shot?
I saw that tapeworm possibilities to make a good composition with a bokeh.

Untitled by Buthaina Farei

5 questions about this photo:

Q1. What equipment did you use?
NIKON D90

Q2. What settings did you have on your camera?
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec, Aperture: F/10.0,
ISO Speed: 200, Focal Length: 85 mm

Q3. What software did you use during the post-production?
Adobe Photoshop CS Windows

Q4. What is the subject of the photo?
The subject was to make a "bokeh" shot.

Q5. How did you come up with the idea of this shot?
I was talking with my friend (a photographer) about a bokeh art in photography and we agreed to have a "workshop" on this effect. It was like the challenge for us. Each of us thought of something different from the other. But at last this shot end up as the winner.