You never know what you might find when you’re wandering around Tokyo. I found this lovely display of cosmos – a beautiful autumn flower – just across the street from Tokyo station a couple of weeks back. These are some of my favorite flowers, and they can be found in abundance throughout Japan this time of year. I was particularly happy because it gave me a chance to try out the bokeh capabilities of my new Nikon 16-35mm f/4 lens. It’s a great lens, but f/4 isn’t really the best for getting soft backgrounds generally. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how good a job it did here. Keep in mind, bokeh isn’t just a matter of things being out of focus but also how nice the out of focus area looks. It should look creamy, not harsh, and that’s how it came out with this lens. Honestly, I think the bokeh with this lens at f/4 looks better than some lenses I’ve seen even beyond f/2. Something worth considering anytime you’re buying a new lens where bokeh might matter.
Camera: Nikon D610
Lens: Nikon 16-35mm f/4 VR
Shot Info: f/4 | 1/80 sec | ISO200 | 24mm
