Portrait at f/2.8 — moderate background blur
The same portrait one and a bit stops closed down.
Camera
Not specified
Lens
Not specified
Focal length
50 mm
Aperture
f/2.8
Shutter speed
1/2000 s
ISO
100
Focus
Single-point AF on the eye
White balance
Auto
Flash
Not used
Tripod
Not used
Why does this photo look like this?
f/2.8 still blurs the background nicely, but a little more of the scene falls inside the sharp zone — useful when you want some sense of place.
Look at this
The background is still soft, yet you can now tell there is a path and trees behind the subject.
What would change with different settings
Open up to f/1.8 for more separation, or close to f/5.6 if you want the location to be recognisable.
Aperture comparison
The same portrait at four different apertures.
Demo imagePortrait at f/1.8 — strong background blur
Strong background blur
1/4000 s · f/1.8 · ISO 100
Demo imagePortrait at f/2.8 — moderate background blur
Moderate background blur
1/2000 s · f/2.8 · ISO 100
Demo imagePortrait at f/5.6 — background detail returns
More background detail
1/500 s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
Demo imagePortrait at f/8 — almost everything sharp
Much more of the scene appears sharp
1/250 s · f/8 · ISO 100
What changed
Only the aperture changed: f/1.8 → f/2.8 → f/5.6 → f/8.
What stayed the same
Same subject, same distance, same 50mm focal length, same light. Shutter speed was made faster or slower so every frame stays equally bright.
What happens if you change the settings?
1/2000 s · f/2.8 · ISO 100
Always check your exposure and adjust settings according to the actual lighting and movement.
These are starting settings, not universal rules.
Always check your exposure and adjust settings according to the actual lighting and movement.