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many thanks.
Also I'd recommend stopping it down to at least f2.8 as it can be a bit soft at f1.8 and if a beginner then you'll probably end up with too many of your shots with the focus not quite on the right thing and the shallow depth of field doesn't give much wiggle room for error. Although it is fun taking some shots with it an f1.8 just because you can
Remember the must get shots
1 - one the whole family stands there or sit there and smile.
Now that one is out of the way (do it at any time), but a place where they are not squinting, in the shade if out in the open.
2 - Candids, of mum with child, dad with child, just the child, child playing with child etc. Depends how old they are, photos of their little feet, photos of them looking at the camera, photos of them holding on a toy.
Here is a tip, instead of asking them to hold a pose, as them to do something, so instead of saying "put your hand here" say "could you start your hand here and finish by the shoulders" let them move there naturally and it will be a more natural position than you asking them to place a hand where you want it to go.
Ask them to walk away from you, walk towards you and snap.
And yes, the blur, and its character is call bokeh, a japanese word. That 2nd photo is taken with a 50mm (on a Full Frame) at F/1.4.
That must be a seriously narrow DOF at F/1.4 I'm gathering a tripod was used? Do you trust your auto focus or do you shoot in manual? Are there any techniques or practices that will help in obtaining a sharp picture in manual mode? I don't really want to rely on auto focus especially when doing macro photography as the auto focus struggles at such close focusing.
sorry for all the questions but if you don't ask, you don't learn!
Such wisdom! I used to use a 50mm and a 135mm the most on film (on 35mm anyway, on medium format I used a 60mm and 250mm on 6x7).
So now I have a crop sensor camera and have a 50mm lens (that's cheap, sharp as hell... And hardly ever used as it's not quite long or wide enough for me), an 85mm 1.4 that's practically welded to the camera (that's equivalent of 135mm f/2 - wonderful focal length and gives enough camera - to - subject distance to compress the background a bit but is wide and long enough for a good blur) and the 18-70mm zoom that's hardly used as I've never used zooms before a few years ago..
If I could go back I'd probably get the same camera, the sigma art 35mm 1.4 and an 85mm 1.4. That gives me a fast 50 and fast 135 equivalent that I'm used to... And maybe in time I'd want something wider.
Honestly though, I've found blur just isn't that important compared to good composition light and editing. I go to flickr and find people using the same gear as me but with much better results because they're better photographers
https://payload264.cargocollective.com/1/14/479058/7588668/Fred_Bonatto_IAH_02_800.jpg
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