Portrait at f/8 — almost everything sharp
The same portrait with a deep zone of sharpness.
Camera
Not specified
Lens
Not specified
Focal length
50 mm
Aperture
f/8
Shutter speed
1/250 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/8 keeps nearly the whole scene sharp. That is great for landscapes and groups, but a portrait can start to blend into its background.
Look at this
The trees, path and subject are all readable. The picture now tells you as much about the place as about the person.
What would change with different settings
For a classic portrait look, open back up to f/1.8–f/2.8 and put more distance between the subject and the background.
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?
1/250 s · f/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.
More examples like this
Demo imagePortrait at f/1.8 — strong background blur
1/4000 s · f/1.8 · ISO 100
Demo imagePortrait at f/2.8 — moderate background blur
1/2000 s · f/2.8 · ISO 100
Demo imagePortrait at f/5.6 — background detail returns
1/500 s · f/5.6 · ISO 100