Can someone clarify for me.
When we're talking about 'Bokeh', are we refering to the slightly OOF areas around our subject, or when the world turns to cream in a photo and all the lights turn into balls as such?
I think OOF plays a major role in photography, even when it is ever so slight. Having an entire image in focus is not good on the eyes of the viewer. There attention darts around the picture taking everything in instead of being lead to the subject.
Turning the world to cream on the other hand can produce some nice effects. It's probably overrated yes... but you have to be kind to the people who sold their car to pay for the noctilux. It is over used, many times when it was not necessary. People have started to make it the most important factor of the image, and the subject second. As I said earlier, people do what sells. Bokeh is 'in' at the moment, just like iphones.
Anyhow, lets be honest with ourselves. We're all completely bias, this is RFF! Rangefinders... Our role models are from a time when no one used fast lenses in general photography. Everything was mostly sharp. Everyone here in in love with what is called 'street photography', bokeh doesn't exist in that world.
My mother doesn't like rock music, she didn't grow up with up. I like rock music, I did grow up with it. Many of you don't like bokeh, you didn't grow up with it. Those recent to photography may like bokeh... Welcome to the future. Great photography is probably doomed forever. Digital started it, it bokeh'd every damn flower from here to anywhere. 🙂