f1.8 for 'romantic/sad' looking portaits......

[jklomo]

The last thread I started about '1.8 necessary for pro look?' really seemed to cause a stir, so I guess I wanted to dive a little deeper into the subject. My inquiries sort of pertain to a certain style of photographs, with a sort of a lonely or sad feel, and over the past few months, shooting on a rebel xs 'crop sensor' with a 50mm 1.8 wide open has produced the look I have been after. Is it just me? Am I the only one that thinks pictures like these tend to lend themselves to more of a 'poetic' or 'romantic' look. I have looked at a lot of great portait photographers photographs, and the ones that use a shallow depth of field to draw their subject out of the backround, they all seem to evoke more of a subtle yet powerful emotion. I refuse to believe I'm the only one. Anyway, here is another example, a shot I took last week near Hemingways birth home in IL. I am a young photographer, and I do indeed understand that I have a LOT to learn about photography, and I'm excited about it every day. That being said, any comments like, 'Kids these days, don't know anything about the old school, or what is really means to be a real photographer,' comments like those are NOT welcome. But your honest critisism would be very much appreciated. Thank you very much all photographers who contribute to the learning process for a lot of us. Thank you.



Exposure : 1/2000 (0.001 second)
Aperture : f1.8
Focal Length : 50mm
ISO : 400

[SusanH1970]

I like it! I, however am addicted to shooting wide open, LOL. The image is a tad soft, but in this case I think the softness adds, rather than takes away from, the overall feel of the image.

[untitled99]

I agree about the softness! i think it's a great shot and I too seem to be drawn to these sorts of portraits. I'm new to "real" photography and got my first SLR two months ago and this weekend will be first chance to use it on people and i plan to be shooting wide open!

[Wifey]

I read through that other thread too. . .didn't comment.

I think that the 1.8 lends itself well to this photo! Nice work - I love how his hands are a tad soft/out of focus too - not just the background. It draws you in to look some more, and ultimately, is that not the point?

I love the use of wide aperture and am addicted to it myself! I'm young as well but I did spend several years using a 35mm SLR (and a darkroom, *gasp*) and did some journalism and print work with it. . .not sure what category that puts me in ('those youngins' or one of the 'old fogies that know about 'real' photography' as they say) but *I* still love the use of blur and a shallow DOF.

Nice work!

[Photolicious]

I am also quite fond of 1.8 My only problem is to get both eyes in focus (frontal photo) - any tricks on where to point my focus point?

[kleidascope]

Agree with previous comments. If the subject was more in focus it would lend to more power of the image. Maybe even a stronger black/white processing might lend it to be more power.

Is it the f stop numberthat really make the difference? Or is it more the DOF and the 'non-background' making the primary subject pop-out?

[sk66]

Shallow DOF/ lack of background causes the "subject" to automatically be the subject of focus...there is little/ no competition. When the "subject" also fills the frame (especially face/eyes) it causes a sense of "intimacy" with the subject. This is perfect for "romantic/emotional(sad)" images.

[jklomo]

well said sk66. Thank you everyone for your input. I'll work on maybe opening up a bit to f2.0 when I shoot 'snapshot style' portraits. I like to get people laughing, or smiling, or crying, and I've come to realize that I have little to no time to micromanage my settings when trying to really capture the moment, even thought i do shoot in Manual most of the time. I think with a slightly smaller aperture I will get a slightly wider DOF and a little less overexposure on bright days, maybe a little more contrast to my b&w photos. thank you everyone.

[Pip]

I love this photo! I too like the fact that the hands are a bit out of focus and that makes you look at his face even more. Sadness, loneliness, is what I think when looking at it.

[Wifey]

Originally Posted by sk66

Shallow DOF/ lack of background causes the "subject" to automatically be the subject of focus...there is little/ no competition. When the "subject" also fills the frame (especially face/eyes) it causes a sense of "intimacy" with the subject. This is perfect for "romantic/emotional(sad)" images.

SUPER well said