I'm surprised no one has shared a mirror lens yet! I don't have a lot of images with out-of-focus point lights, but here's some of that funky doughnut bokeh! Canon FD 500mm f/8 on a G2.

Thank you for sharing that! It's absolutely true... and a big blind spot for me, because I don't own a single mirror lens. (Shame on me, I know...😞) If you have any additional donut bokeh shots, it would be great if you could show them here. And perhaps someone else with a mirror lens might as well.

Thanks a lot - really glad you find it interesting. I'm looking forward to your "blade-runner" bokeh! 👍

I like the way you think and see. Very clever! Excellent use of gear for both 😉

Danny.

Try a small metal print of the first one & just stick it on your desk or lab bench on a small stand. IMHO metal images of many of your more geometric images would look great in less dense spaces in a modern architecture home - especially as a group, to play off each other.

Thank you very much - that's really kind!

Really interesting - maybe I'll try that. Thanks for the advice!

I have a few I took with my Tamron 55B a while back.

Of course you can always try to have fun with what I would consider the "boring shapes" like hexagons or octagons:

Hex sells! by simple.joy, on Flickr

Polygon gone too far... by simple.joy, on Flickr

Life hex for staying on top of things by simple.joy, on Flickr

That being said, I'm the first one to admit, that it takes some consideration to make something interesting with those, and so far I feel like I've never managed to take full advantage of those shapes. If you have done something interesting with polygon with 5 or more corners, please share it here. I would love to get some inspiration.

Welcome - great to see you here!

Those are fantastic. I would love to try a mirror lens. At some point I'll have to get one of those, I guess.

Thanks! I'm still among those many people who dislike if not hate these "Bokeh Pentagons" and I'm trying to avoid them in my photography.
But I see that you can use them in creative ways as part of your art. A good idea in your Christmas picture.

I did a small exercise with Componon-S 100mm.
I prefer backround with bokeh balls taken the aperture "wide" open at f/5.6.
But if I really was shooting flowers, a little stopping down were needed for DOF and sharpness.

In the thread dprevived.com/t/bokeh-how-much-background-blur-will-i-get/2398/ nzmacro asked why these threads were not linked.
I think these threads should be cross-linked together because Tom Axford shows
interesting bokeh there: dprevived.com/t/bokeh-how-much-background-blur-will-i-get/2398/

Your thread is very interesting, and the photos are beautiful. 👍🏻

I have here some examples taken with my Sigma 600mm mirror f/8

Ode to love by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

600 by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

Early morning by Marc Aubry, sur Flickr

The first shot is my favorite. very nice. I think the color balance is a bit towards to cyan and yellow.

BTW. Are they the lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus), or great black-backed gulsl (Larus marinus)?

Many thanks - I'm glad you enjoy some of the images! Your shots are beautiful. I like the busy bokeh of the other two, but I feel like this one works exceptionally well - excellent example!

Thanks for that! I edited the OP and linked to the other thread and the interesting example by Tom Axford. I'm not sure what "cross-link" means and if it can be done. I've tried to keep this topic to adapted lenses so far, but I have nothing agains opening it up to modifications and DIY bokeh experiments as well, if there's an interest to do that.

Alternatively I'm happy to post some images in the How much background blur will I get? thread, if anyone thinks it would fit there. I just don't want to distract from any serious discussions about bokeh, blur and how it's created... because a lot of what I do is simple trial and error and perhaps sometimes a little bit 'thinking outside of the box'. 😅

While not really the same as the awesome rings mirror lenses produce, some of my lenses create quite interesting bokeh-bubble shapes, which can be a lot of fun as well:

Playing with light by simple.joy, on Flickr

Wide open by simple.joy, on Flickr

Barely making fence meet by simple.joy, on Flickr

Money is so distracting... by simple.joy, on Flickr

Dan Delight by simple.joy, on Flickr

I especially like the second one 😍
You really seem to be enjoying yourself 😜

👍

A diagonal slit aperture (cut from black paper) gives you diagonal bokeh.

Very nice! Have never tried that but looks very interesting. 👍

Because of the interesting diagonal bokeh shot, I got to post some of my bokeh experiments with external factors as well:

Trying to bokeh hole in my idea? by simple.joy, on Flickr

Overwhelming pressure by simple.joy, on Flickr

Choc-full of sweetness by simple.joy, on Flickr

Time to get in shape for Christmas! by simple.joy, on Flickr

Optical essence on fire by simple.joy, on Flickr

All made with different lenses... Usually most types of experiments like that seem to work better with big diameter lenses though.