settings & aperture

My manual settings for these two shots:

ISO – 400
aperture – 2.8
shutter speed – 1/320
lens – 50mm 1.2

ISO – 250
aperture – 2.8
shutter speed – 1/250
lens – 50mm 1.2

Did you notice that both of these images have the same aperture (the same f-stop)? They are both set at 2.8. But they look quite different. In the first picture the background falls off (blurry) much more than the second picture. In the second picture you can at least tell that it’s grass under her. Why are they different when they both have the same aperture setting? Well, my distance to the subject is different in these two pictures and that makes it appear different. I’m really close to the little girl in the first picture and so the background falls off much more. There is a lot more distance between my lens and the little girl in the second picture and so much more is in focus below her. Does that make sense? Hope so! Happy practicing. And…. guess what, one more workshop will be opening up in the Fall. I said I wasn’t doing any in the Fall, but I lied (or changed my mind). I’m giving in (a lot of you lovely people have been asking). Let’s do one more Saturday. More info soon. Look for it here…