Top 18 'Bokeh-Boosting' Park Spots to practice for beginners who just bought a prime lens - Goh Ling Yong
So, you did it. You finally unwrapped that brand-new prime lens. You’ve seen the incredible photos online—the ones with that beautifully blurry, dream-like background that makes the subject pop. That magical effect is called "bokeh," and your new lens is a portal to creating it. But there's a small catch: knowing you can create it and knowing how to create it are two different things.
Before you start booking models or planning elaborate photoshoots, you need to practice. You need a low-pressure, visually rich environment where you can experiment, make mistakes, and have those "aha!" moments. As a photographer, I can tell you that your greatest, most accessible, and most versatile training ground is your local park. Forget expensive studios; the park offers an endless supply of subjects, lighting situations, and textures for free.
Here at the Goh Ling Yong blog, we believe that mastery comes from practice. That's why I've put together this comprehensive list of 18 specific "bokeh-boosting" spots and subjects you can find in almost any park. Grab your camera, set your new prime lens to its widest aperture (like f/1.8 or f/1.4), and let's turn your local green space into your personal photography dojo.
1. The Solitary Flower in a Crowded Bed
Flowerbeds are a fantastic starting point for any beginner photographer. But don't just point your camera at the whole patch. The key to great bokeh is subject isolation. Scan the bed for one single flower—perhaps one that’s taller than the others or has a unique colour—and make that your hero.
Get down low, at eye-level with the flower. Position yourself so the other flowers and bushes are as far behind your subject as possible. This distance between your subject (the flower) and the background is crucial for creating that creamy blur. Focus precisely on the petals of your chosen flower, and watch the busy background melt away into a gorgeous swirl of colour.
Pro Tip: Try to find a flower that is backlit by the sun. This will create a beautiful rim light around the edges of the petals, making it stand out even more against the soft-focus background.
2. A Park Bench with a Distant Path
The humble park bench is an iconic and surprisingly versatile subject. It's perfect for practicing how distance affects your depth of field. Find a bench that has a long, clear view behind it, like a path winding into the distance or an open field.
Instead of shooting it straight on, try a more creative angle. Get low and shoot along the length of the bench, focusing on the nearest edge. This creates a wonderful sense of depth, with the front of the bench being tack sharp and the rest gently falling out of focus, leading the viewer's eye into the beautifully blurred background. You're not just practicing bokeh; you're learning about composition and leading lines.
3. A String of Fairy Lights or Cafe Bulbs
If your park has a small cafe, pavilion, or trees decorated for an event, you've hit the bokeh jackpot. Strings of lights are the ultimate tool for creating what are known as "bokeh balls"—those soft, circular highlights that everyone loves.
During the late afternoon or "blue hour" just after sunset, find a string of lights. Don't focus on the lights themselves. Instead, find a subject to place in front of them. This could be a leaf, a coffee cup on a table, or even a friend. Focus on your foreground subject, and the lights in the background will transform into stunning, glowing orbs. The farther the lights are from your subject, the larger and softer the bokeh balls will be.
4. The Spray from a Water Fountain
Water in motion is a fantastic, dynamic subject. A fountain offers two great practice opportunities. First, you can practice freezing motion by using a faster shutter speed to capture individual droplets hanging in the air.
For bokeh practice, find a part of the fountain where the water is backlit by the sun. Focus on a single stream or a section of the fountain's edge. The countless sunlit droplets in the background will blur into a sparkling, glittery texture that looks absolutely magical. This teaches you how to find beauty and abstract patterns in everyday scenes.
5. The Textured Bark of an Old Tree
Photography isn't just about big, grand scenes; it's about details. Find an old, interesting-looking tree with deep, gnarly bark. This is your chance to practice focusing on texture.
Get very close to the trunk. Fill your frame with a small section of the bark that has a compelling pattern. Use your lens's widest aperture. The shallow depth of field will ensure that only a sliver of the bark is in sharp focus, while the foreground and background of the trunk itself will gently blur away. This creates a very intimate and tactile-feeling image.
6. A Single Leaf on the Ground
Sometimes the best subjects are right at your feet. An autumn leaf on a patch of grass, a fallen petal on a gravel path—these simple subjects are perfect for practicing isolation and composition.
This exercise forces you to change your perspective. Instead of standing and shooting down, get as low to the ground as you can. This angle creates more separation between the leaf and the ground behind it, enhancing the bokeh effect. It also gives the humble leaf a heroic, monumental feel.
7. The Playground Swing Chain
Playgrounds are full of colours, lines, and shapes. The chains of a swing set are a perfect tool for practicing with leading lines and repetitive patterns.
Focus on a single link in the chain up close, and let the rest of the chain stretch away from the camera. The repeating links will get progressively blurrier, creating a powerful visual path that draws the viewer into the image. This is a classic technique that demonstrates how shallow depth of field can be used to guide the eye.
8. A Lamppost at Dusk
As the sun sets and the park lights begin to flicker on, you have a new set of subjects to work with. A classic, solitary lamppost is a wonderful subject for practicing low-light photography with your fast prime lens.
The wide aperture of your prime lens (e.g., f/1.8) lets in a lot of light, so you can shoot in darker conditions without needing a flash. Frame the lamppost against the deepening blue of the twilight sky. Focus on the lamp itself, and let the trees and paths in the background fade into a soft, moody blur. This will teach you about balancing ambient light and creating atmosphere.
9. A Textured Sign or Plaque
Look for park signs—trail markers, historical plaques, or even "Keep Off The Grass" signs. These are great for practicing precise focusing and appreciating how different materials look with a shallow depth of field.
Choose a sign with some texture, like worn wood or raised metal lettering. Get close and shoot at an angle. Focus on a single word or letter. The shallow depth of field will make that single point incredibly sharp, while the rest of the sign and the background behind it become beautifully soft. It’s a great way to turn a mundane object into an interesting abstract photo.
10. A Patient Squirrel or Bird
Practicing on wildlife is a fantastic way to hone your skills. Park squirrels and birds are often accustomed to people, making them more patient models than their wilder cousins. This is a challenge that combines bokeh with focus tracking and patience.
Set your camera to continuous autofocus and a fast shutter speed (like 1/500s or faster). Find a squirrel on a branch or a pigeon on a path. The key is to have a clean, distant background behind them. When you nail the focus on the animal's eye, the wide aperture of your prime lens will obliterate the background, making your subject look like it was shot in a professional studio.
11. Dewdrops on a Spiderweb
This requires an early morning visit to the park, but the results are worth it. After a cool, damp night, you can often find spiderwebs covered in tiny beads of dew, especially in bushes or near the ground.
This is a masterclass in macro-style photography and precise focusing. Get close and focus on a single strand of the web. The dewdrops will catch the morning light and, when out of focus, will transform into a string of tiny, beautiful bokeh balls. It’s a magical sight that most people walk right past.
12. A Fence Line Stretching into the Distance
Similar to the swing chain, a fence is a perfect subject for practicing with leading lines. Whether it's a rustic wooden fence or a modern metal one, the effect is the same.
Position yourself so the fence runs diagonally across your frame, from a corner in the foreground to the background. Focus on the part of the fence closest to you. The repeating posts will create a powerful line that guides the eye through the image, becoming softer and blurrier as it recedes into the distance. This is a fundamental composition technique that is greatly enhanced by good bokeh.
13. A Picnic Blanket Setup
If you see a family or a couple having a picnic, you don't need to photograph them. Look for the details: a wicker basket, a book lying on the checkered blanket, a half-empty glass of juice. These objects tell a story.
This is an exercise in environmental detail photography. Isolate one interesting object on the blanket. The colourful, patterned blanket itself will become a soft, out-of-focus background element, providing context and texture without being distracting. It teaches you to see the small stories within a larger scene.
14. Tall Grass or Weeds Backlit by the Sun
Don't overlook the "boring" parts of the park. A patch of untamed tall grass or interesting-looking weeds can be a stunning subject, especially during the golden hour (the hour after sunrise or before sunset).
Position yourself so the sun is behind the patch of grass. This will cause the edges of each blade to glow. Get low to the ground and focus on a few blades in the foreground. The rest of the grass and the distant background will blur into a warm, glowing, and almost abstract wash of colour. A technique I, Goh Ling Yong, have used countless times to turn a simple field into a breathtaking image.
15. A Child's Lost Toy
A single, forgotten object can tell a powerful story. A lonely teddy bear sitting under a bench or a small toy car left in a sandbox is an incredibly compelling subject.
This is an exercise in photographic storytelling. Frame the object so it feels small and isolated. Use your wide aperture to blur the large, empty park space around it. This shallow depth of field enhances the feeling of loneliness and makes the viewer wonder about the story behind the lost toy.
16. Reflections in a Puddle
After it rains, the park is filled with temporary photo studios: puddles. They offer a chance to play with reflections, symmetry, and a unique perspective.
Find a puddle that is reflecting something interesting, like colourful autumn trees or the sky. The trick here is to focus on something on the surface of the water, like a floating leaf or a ripple. This will make the reflection in the background soft and painterly. It’s a creative challenge that can produce beautifully abstract results.
17. An Ornate Gate or Archway
Many parks have grand entrances with iron gates, stone archways, or decorative features. These are excellent for practicing framing and detail shots.
Instead of capturing the whole gate, get close and focus on a small, interesting detail—a decorative curl in the ironwork, a rusty lock, or the texture of the stone. Let the rest of the gate and the park visible through it fall out of focus. This highlights the craftsmanship of the object and creates a beautiful sense of depth.
18. A Person on a Path (Environmental Portrait)
Finally, it's time to practice with a human subject. You don't need a model; just ask a friend to join you or even capture a candid moment of a stranger walking in the distance (always be respectful, of course).
Position your subject on a path with a long, clear background behind them (trees, an open field). The key is to have significant distance between your subject and the background. Use your wide aperture and focus on their eyes. The compression and shallow depth of field from your prime lens will make them pop from the background, creating a professional-looking portrait that beautifully isolates them from their environment.
Your Park, Your Studio
There you have it—18 ways to turn any park into the ultimate practice ground for your new prime lens. The journey to mastering photography, and especially the art of bokeh, isn't about finding exotic locations. It's about learning to see the photographic potential in the everyday world around you.
Your new lens is a powerful tool, but it's just that—a tool. The real magic happens when you pair it with a curious eye and a willingness to experiment. So, challenge yourself. Try to capture all 18 of these subjects. See them not as a checklist, but as a series of creative prompts designed to train your eye and build your confidence.
Now, it's your turn. Head out to your local park and start shooting! We would absolutely love to see what you create. Share your best park bokeh shots on Instagram, tag us @[YourInstagramHandle] and use the hashtag #GLYBokehPractice so we can feature our favourites
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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