Quote:
Originally Posted by SJH Foto
I do want to say that I do not always use a wide aperture. I know this is frowned upon by many here from reading their critiques of portraits, but I feel that if the background is interesting enough, and blends well with the subject, it can be done.
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Agree 1000%, the use of aperture for creative purposes should be guided by the need to include or exclude the background. As SJH correctly points out, on a number of occasions using a low aperture to include the background is not only recommended, but mandatory - no frowning here.
Some examples include street portraiture where the background is needed to tell the story, and environmental protraiture where the background is a part of the subject.
As a matter of fact, on studio portraits with commercial backgrounds, the use of smaller apertures (f/8, f/11) is common to obtain maxium focus and sharpness on the subject.
Is important to remember that blurring the background is not an absolute rule, is just a tool to emphasize the subject when you (the photographer) feel the background will distract the viewer. In the end, is your individual choice depending on what you want to achieve in the end product.