Your Photos Could Be SOOO Much Better! Stop Shooting f/1.2, f1.4, f1.8 and Wide Open Apertures!

[@CryptoJones]

I didn't realize shooting wide open lost sharpness. Looking at lightroom at my images with smaller apertures I can see the difference in sharpness!!!!

[@alfredorodriguezphoto]

This needed to be said. There's an ungodly amount of people that shoot everything at f1.8 and a shutter speed of 1/2500th of a sec. 🤦🏽

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Definitely! Thanks for checking out the video. So, what kind of photography do you typically shoot?

[@LiveeyePhoto]

Well I have to reply because I may not shoot at 1.8 a lot I do shoot at 2.8 and 1/2000 or even 1/3000 of a second to shoot sports 😅

[@CRobbins131]

Let me put it this way, I have a corvette but I don’t drive 100 mph all the time not even most of the time but it’s nice to have the power when you need it

[@Svoboda1234]

But there are consequences to driving 100mph. On the car, on your safety, your wallet. What are the consequences of shooting at f 1.2? Creamy bokeh?

[@robertmccutchan5450]

Thank you so much for posting this! I'm glad to see someone addressing this issue. I almost never shoot my prime lenses wide open....I hate to see one eye in focus while the the other eye and the nose are out of focus. My main lens is a 24-105 f4, and I get more usable pictures shooting at f4 than I do shooting primes at f1.8. I keep a 50mm and 85mm f1.8 with me for the occasional times when I DO want a shallow depth of field, but most of the time, I prefer to shoot with my lenses stopped down a bit. I really don't drop below f2.8, and most of the time I shoot at f4 - f5.6. My photography career started MANY years ago (late 1990's) with film cameras and manual focus lenses, and it was dangerous to shoot a wedding with fast lenses wide open. Pre-focusing and setting the aperture to f5.6 or f8 was just the standard way to shoot, and I still use this technique today.

[@bodinian]

Using wide open apertures strategically works for me. For photojournaling my life I use the RF 24-105mm f/4 and the RF 14-35mm f/4 lenses most of the time. When I want a fancy portrait I take it with the EF 70-200mm f/2.8 often with a wide open aperture because I use that lens for a particular look in portraits; but I use it differently if I'm taking pictures of other things like animals, objects, and landscapes. I take the 50mm f/1.8 when I'm outside at night and need to keep my camera setup small and good in low light without a flash since carrying a big rig around in the city at night attracts thieves.

[@EDWARDTHEEAUTHOR]

I literally told myself today that i dont need my 85mm 1.2 because i will never shoot that and i prefer to have the entire face or subject in focus

[@damasovi_travels1244]

I like to take 2 pictures, 1 wide open, and the other at F11-F22 (it varies because of the lense or the situation)

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Sounds fun

[@rocketrollsvlogs7625]

I'm subscribing just because I like that you don't follow the crowd. Framing and Lighting are where all the action is at.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@Svoboda1234]

Just as importantly as blurring out the background is the subject separation that can only be obtained with a wide open f stop and/or zoom. Higher f stops=flatter images. I have an A7RV, it’s new and expensive and it absolutely looks better when shot at f 1.2 in low light. Recommending that people with an f 1.2 lens shoot at high f stops in low light is the strangest advice. Y’all crank down your f stops and take iPhone looking photos and I’ll stay at 1.2

[@TheMsavage]

Everything you said is why I believe I fell back in love with M/43. Since the crop factor also doubles F stop I'm getting a lot in focus from the jump. Also you are saying everything I thought. I try 2.8-5.6 unless shooting product shots. My fastest glass is Olympus 75 1.8 followed by 40-150 2.8 which is insanely sharp wide open but due to the double effect I'm essentially shooting 150m 3.6 with my Oly 75. If my look is for blurry backgrounds shooting telephoto/M 4/3 system easily gives me that. Great video and talking points

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jabezhane]

Like others have mentioned, I now prefer the bokeh you get from longer zoom compression. I have taken pics with 70-200MM f2.8 at f5.0 at the 200mm end and got the most lovely blended backgrounds while the face is pin sharp. I even got great bokeh at the far end with the old EF 70-210mm F3.5 USM lens at F5.0 that you can pick up for like $80. As for my primes I never shoot them fully open. 1.4 gets set to 1.8 lowest and the 1.8's get set to 2.0.

[@secularnevrosis]

On my old SLR's a wide aperture lens does come in handy, at times. Changing the ISO means pulling your film and inserting a higher ISO film. But I really don't understand people that ONLY shoots wide open, not for effect or lack of light etc etc. Then complains about their expensive prime has some problems wide open. Reflexes, flares, chromatics and so on.Ofc it has, it was never meant to be used like that.

[@Hussein22]

Everyone is entitled to his own style.

[@lifetimesofamultiplemediam1003]

Every time some photographer mentions a blurry background, I roll my eyes to the heavens and think the words: "Lord Have Mercy!" I of course, like many a shooter, used to like shooting wide open at 2.8 or 2.0 back in the day, and what saved me from this illness was when I bought an f4 lens. I noticed whenever I used by 24-70 f4.0, alongside my 70-200 f2.8, or my 135 f2.0, the f4 images were more in focus, and the background added to the composition rather than take away. In fact, my f4 lens forced me to not be stupid in many situations, (because I had no choice) and often saved my backside when many of the f2.0 shots weren't useable due to missing focus. Nowadays, I shoot a lot between f11 to f5.6, and I hardly even go down to f4. (which technically would be wide open for me). Once in a while, I will go to f4 and below, with my primes, but I quickly return up to my normal f range. I sometimes shoot with a group of shooters, and they all used to laugh at me for shooting at the f-stops that I do. They are all struck with the "shoot wide open bug", but slowly they are starting to come to the same conclusion as I did. It can be a hard lesson to learn, but a much appreciated one. Great upload! 🙏🏿

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Ya, I think we all go through that phase at some point. So, what type of photography do you shoot?

[@lifetimesofamultiplemediam1003]

@@JustinMyersPhoto I shoot community events, video and photography. Local news spots, and protests. I also shoot street photography.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@lifetimesofamultiplemediam1003 oh awesome, that’s very cool. Interesting niche to find!

[@petrvokurek2286]

Very true, this! Part of the problem is most people don´t see their work in print. When I started shooting I had to print my photos in the darkroom. And man, did I know straight away that stopped down shots looked much better than those wide open. I shot a lot of nudes and printed them 50x60cm and quickly found out I need to shoot at f4 on my 85mm prime to get excellent sharpness while retaining sufficient separation from the backgroud- that is when I needed separation. A lot of the time we don´t need separation and are better off using f8, 11 or 16. Anyway, thanks for the video!

[@winblood8758]

I was shooting wide open at first. And I noticed it's challenging to focus, recompose and get an in focus subject at 1.8. But now I do close down the aperture a bit and I find that my shots are better focused and sharper, and subjects are more entirely focused. Especially when I try to shoot 2 or more persons.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Oh ya, f/1.8 just won’t give enough depth of field for getting multiple people in focus

[@lb7144]

Amen! That was my trial and error with shooting just family. Even on my Canon C100 MKII I won’t shoot at 1.8 or T1.4 CINE but more around 2.8 for more sharpness. Better to add more light or position so you get more light on your subject. Reflectors and battery powered LEDs are a good go to. Anyway this is one of my favorite channels for information. I have learned so much from the channel content and comments since subscribing.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@Left_Hand_Path]

Just recently upgraded to an eos R from a sl2 and I’m trying to unlearn my habit of just going wide open to make up for a cropped aps-c / weaker sensor in lower lighting. This is a great video, and a reminder to try and break that old habit I formed because It does cause me to lose a lot of shots from being out of focus just going wide open all the time when I could have nailed it by just stepping it up a bit and remembering my new Camera body can handle It now lol.

[@patrickmckeag3215]

Great video. Thanks for doing it. I'm just an amateur hobby photographer and when I started, I yearned for that blurry background. When I got my first f1.8 lens I was hooked and started shooting everything at f1.8 for the best bokeh I could get. It took me a long time to realize my portrait shots needed to be stopped down to f2.8 or more, so that my subject's face was entirely in focus. Same thing with flowers etc. The background is NOT your enemy. I'm trying to wean myself off of the "blurry background" habit. I would never buy an f1.4 lens, as it would be useless for me and a waste of money.

[@Roddriley]

I used to do that when I started but I've noticed I ve lost a lot of details and finished with a tons of blurred pics. Was trying to be like Manny O, Lindsay A and many others. So I've stopped. Shooting from f5 to f 11 sometimes allow me to get some really great detailed shots

[@Foto_School]

You should improve the lighting on the shadow side of your face, maybe half a stop brighter.

[@LyndonPatrickSmith]

I think a lot of this comes from beginners starting on micro four-thirds or aps-c, where the wide-open apertures are more forgiving. Then when they move to full frame they have to learn to stop down more often.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

I’m sure that plays into it. And while that would mean slightly less shallow depth of field on smaller sensors, the rest of the issues, like lens performance, still applies across the board on sensor sizes

[@bemwells4337]

using a small aperture prime lens thats a wide angle gives more background detail while keeping a bright aperture. Furthermore im on apsc so 1.4 30mm prime gives me a good balance

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Just give it a try

[@linusfotograf]

I don’t see why it should be either or. If I’m in-doors and I need a certain shutter speed I will shoot wide open rather than crank up the ISO too much. If I need the whole face in focus then yes I will raise ISO and go to 2.8 or 4. I had to shoot a low light event with people moving around all over the place without flash and I had to go to ISO 12.800. I wish I’d had a f/1.2 that time.

[@DVinstapics]

I recently did a photoshoot with my a7iii with the sony 85mm 1.8. I usually did portrait shots on 1.8 to 2.0 aperture but I decided to close it down a bit (2.8 all the way to 5.6). The results were kind of shocking to me. Because I shot it outdoors in nature and open fields I got the same creamy bokeh as with 1.8 but my subject was even more sharper and in focus. I compared hundreds of shots to previous ones and I couldn't figure out why these ones look better. The subject stood out even more from the background, even with the aperture closed down quite a bit and I'm really happy with the results. Gonna use the open aperture only in low light conditions from now on

[@joelb9219]

Yep I'm a newb And I was wondering why everything I shot was so soft And to your point I learn mostly from KZbin to shoot wide open now I mostly shoot at around f8 for now..

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Awesome, that’s definitely a part of the learning journey

[@pf4773]

I appreciate the nuanced and sophisticated analysis. I travel internationally and use APSC lenses and an apsc camera body (Sony A6700), so lenses such as the sony 11mm F1.8 and the sigma 30mm F1.4, are valuable to me for nighttime shots and video work. Again, thanks for pointing out alternatives using higher f settings :)!!!

[@howardhdavidson]

Very true video and the view I’ve always had about f stops and those boring blurred background.I like in focus occasionally boca looks good . I hate it in video.

[@MrEcliptor]

I shoot the RF100-500 F4.5-7.1 wide open for birds, and I never had a problem with 500mm at 7.1

[@old_hater]

This topic looks like a clickbait:) In fact, there was such a video already by Matt Granger. As for me, it's as simple as this: choose your aperture according to subject. Nobody shoots good macro or landscape wide open. On the other hand nobody shoots outdoor portrait with a busy background at f8.

[@lxhk3595]

Fully agree. razor thin depth of field makes sense in very few situations.

[@chrispatmore8944]

Well said. There’s so much misinformation spread on KZbin by so-called photography “experts”, especially related to depth of field, and the obsession with bokeh. It doesn’t help that most people seem to think that bokeh is a synonym for shallow depth of field, when it is actually referring to quality of the blurriness.

[@GinoFoto]

Ability to operate with physical aperture is certainly beneficial as we can improve objective quality of the lens output, expand depth of field, prolong exposure time, diffract bright shiny object into pleasing star etc., however lenses are develop primarily as "wide open formula", stopping down is just an option to do.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

That’s very much not true about optical design. Wide open aperture, as well as completely stopped down aperture are the extremes of the optical design formula, and just like using any mechanical design at its extremes, it will not function as well. Now, some of the high-end, modern lenses are extremely well designed and perform very well wide open. The Canon RF L-series primes are a good example, but even then, they perform better, if only slightly, when stopped down a couple stops. If you’ve never seen this in action, I invite you to check out literally any lens test from Christopher Frost, who does exhaustive lens performance tests. Again, with expensive, modern lenses the difference between wide open and stopped down is less than in previous generations, which is impressive, but the difference still exists nonetheless

[@GinoFoto]

@@JustinMyersPhoto I'm unable to find the exact interview with Sigma CEO about that anymore, but I still stand by the mentioned, lenses are primarily designed as an optical formula to perform best without additional aperture influence, in fact, most lenses aren't even equipped with physical changeable aperture.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@GinoFoto well, I do know why you can’t find an interview stating any of that information …

[@omegaman1409]

When I got my 1.4 I quickly learned it is better to stop down at least 2.2. Now I am stopping down to 2.8. I miss focus too many times when recomposing.

[@yimikyrabo1287]

Great video, Justin. I agree. I think many of us develop bad habits through following. The world is mostly comprised of followers. The most critical thing you said was "experiment." Experimentation is critical to learning.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Definitely agree! What type of photography do you typically shoot?

[@CanditoTrainingHQ]

Those sample photos were great. I have a theory that compression, not F stop, will be the last standing shiny object. I think low F stops on a normal focal length will slowly fall out of favor in the next 5 years. Reason being that iphone portrait and now cinematic mode will continue to improve. Eventually it'll diminish the appeal of bokeh across the board, as it becomes less of a distinguishing factor between phone vs pro camera. But the one thing that will likely never change is that only a few people will be willing to stand far away from their subject, and it's much harder for an Iphone to emulate a 100-200mm portrait lens than it is to emulate a 35mm F1.2 lens. If we lived in a world where phones could do everything, then I think people would finally just pick what they think looks best lol.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Thanks! And a very interesting theory. I do think it’s best to shoot without worrying what phones or anything else can do, but I’m sure there is pressure on certain people who feel like they are competing with smartphones

[@sstokoe2301]

What a great video….thank you for helping me to look at things differently…Cheers!!

[@Jakeisinthepool]

Im new to photography and I do alot of experiment, I notice that I like blur background and focuses on my subject, human or items or nature. You are right about other people just copying famous youtubers photographers. If you are a photographer, you should have your own style, your own art. Either blurry background, sharp background, monochrome, candy style etc... you need to find it and not follow the trend, I love dreamy pictures and reality photos. I shoot 1.8 at 1/120 100-400 iso with a 50mm 1.8 stm or efs 10-18mm stm using canon rebel sl3 handheld... soon I will have my 2nd gig which is quinceniera, my first gig was golfcourse food photography. You dont need 1.2 or expensive camera to land a gig, but expensive stuff do make your work faster if you really do it for the living.

[@jameslong1540]

I would have liked to see the F stops number next to your picture examples.

[@edemduku3391]

dude, this video is for me. i was creating a busy street concept and i used bokeh and i was like nahh this doesn't tell a busy street. good video.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Awesome, I’m glad you enjoyed it. Is street photography what you mainly shoot?

[@edemduku3391]

@@JustinMyersPhoto nope, portraits mainly. the street photography is part of a 100daysproject i'm doing.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@edemduku3391 oh wow, that sounds awesome

[@mdcoker]

Thank you so very much for this video. everything you said is 100% fact

[@deardaughter]

Thank you bro. You're the man.

[@daoxx777]

Great video! I needed to hear this

[@jeffziefle438]

Great video, thanks for taking the time to push us. This video really makes me think and want to work more on what I’m shooting.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

That’s awesome, glad to hear it! What kind of photography do you typically shoot?

[@jeffziefle5500]

@@JustinMyersPhoto shooting mostly people, but want to do more landscape too. I’ve only been doing this a little over a year.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@jeffziefle5500 okay, very cool! Thanks for checking out the video!

[@FloridaTwoWheelAdventures]

Some people would be unhappy with a 0.00 lens! 😳

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Needs more bokeh!

[@renex8434]

F0.0 is impossible. Technically that would mean that the fokale lenght is zero.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@renex8434 I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that it was a joke

[@mattgericke4537]

While there’s nothing I disagree in this I think you left a number of key thing things out at shooting at f1.2 or f1.4. First the low light capability. I can shoot standing farther back to get the depth of field larger and still get the advantage of not needing a higher iso or being able to shooter with a higher shutter speed. I can then crop in post to get the photo I want. Second, with a f1.2, I can go up to let’s say f1.8 or f2.8 and get a much sharper image than most lens where’s that’s where there f stop starts.

[@ESGRell]

Great video if you don’t mind me asking what aperture did you shoot this KZbin video with?

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Thanks! Probably somewhere between f3.5 - 5.6, but I don’t remember exactly

[@ESGRell]

@@JustinMyersPhoto thanks💯

[@ryzenbiel4145]

agree ..if u have fast Aperture if u want to learn photography u need to shoot like 2.8 or F4 Lens if u have wide open its only blur the background but nothing composition to see what if ur model is not a model or beautiful i see picture blur using expensive but still not good that u want or u want to see. ..dont compare your self if there picture beautiful bokeh or lens and u have only ah 2.8 or F4 i see a lot of photographer shoot only in zoom lens but the photos is magical than picture has bokeh only composition still the best photo to see..

[@NT_1]

I am guilty of this. I have a 50mm 12.GM and the Sony A7RV I've been obsessed with wide aperture to the point that my camera is always on aperture priority at 1.2. While I got really cool bokeh and shallow depth of field images, most however could have been way better had I not used that wide. There are a lot of pictures sitting in my lightroom cloud that are messed up by missing focus. I have learned my lesson.

[@NewsIn60Seconds]

This is a fantastic video with such valuable information and insights. Thank you for sharing. I fully understand the shallow DOF shooting at wide open bring. I would appreciate any thoughts you have on shooting wide open with a lens with a smaller f/stop, With like a 70-200 f/2.8. Do you think shooting wide open is not advisable or do you think 2.8 allows a good DOF?

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

I would say experiment with it. Take a lot of shots at f5.6, f 7.1, f8, f11 and compare those with your shots at f2.8 and see what kind of differences it creates for you and what you prefer

[@PopescuFlorin-George]

Love it!

[@stevedixon8567]

I tend to think that anything that makes your photos look different from what you’d see with your own eyes, needs to have a thought-through purpose behind it. Photography can (and often should) augment your own vision, obviously - and who doesn’t love the way a shallow depth of field can represent the way your eyes can focus on things and give an exaggerated, stylised, beautiful version of how our brain processes that kind of attention? But it’s just one of many tools in the kit. You want to be able to play more than one tune

[@CryptoJones]

All your videos make me want to make a pot of coffee at (checks watch) 4am.

[@pauloduarte3095]

Hey brother, really like your channel and it’s been really helpful for me. I started in photography during the lock down here in England mainly with my phone and as a way of getting my mental health in check. This Christmas my brother gave me is canon 1200D that he got 10 years ago and it’s been really good having a camera to learn photography and owning the skills . I love this old camera and I am having a blast with it. One of the focal lengths that i play with and really like is the 85mm, i check the video were you make the comparison between the 85mm EF and the RF and after the video i just felt that i really don’t know what to get. I would love to get your opinion on what you think is best for my setup.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

So, the 1200D can actually only accept lenses for EF and EF-S mounts, so the RF lens(es) wouldn’t fit your camera body. The good thing is, the EF 85mm would work very well with your 1200D. Hope that helps! Keep enjoying photography!

[@Hubieee]

„If you‘re only shooting stopped down, you are not progressing, you‘re stuck. Open your aperture!“

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Good one. Or would be if I didn’t literally say that I still shoot with wider apertures too. But solid attempt at deflection.

[@RWAquariumPages]

Great video, everyone gets to that stage of bokeh everything. I'm working on my story telling skills and fall back to bokeh style

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

That’s great!

[@RobPirieCedarOtaCoffee]

Please do a video on how you light your shots. I have been impressed with your lighting on IG for a while! Glad to see you are back on the Tube crushing it!

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Thanks so much man! I definitely plan to do some lighting tutorial stuff soon!

[@guidlines]

follow his advice, learn yourself & get your own style.

[@RobPirieCedarOtaCoffee]

@@guidlines cool deal!

[@Twobarpsi]

I never shoot wide open! Usually 4.0 to 5.6

[@dahaizang]

This line of thinking works for those of us who cannot afford or justify the f1.2 monsters.

[@headbang3r519]

Subscribed mate.

[@paleyosezi3122]

You make so much sense you win me as a sub

[@npdady]

I tried, never want to go smaller than f5.6 any longer .

[@timpenner7858]

You're right. Always shooting at the widest possible apertures is certainly not the only approach. However, your "You're Doing it WRONG!!" title is a bit over the top. There's nothing wrong with what anyone does in this business unless people are failing to meet their goals, which is no one's business but their own.

[@kellcoleStyleEnt]

Good information

[@PC-oz7tz]

Thx 4 ur presentation!

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@joits]

Good advice!

[@markburns993]

Well said! I like to joke that too many people will spend a fortune on a super expensive fast lens to avoid learning flash! I like to remind them that fast lenses are called "fast" because they achieve focus faster due to their large max aperture. And my experience is that customers like their subjects in focus, at least from the waist up, and also like to be able to make out those in the background at a wedding reception or other event.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Well then, I think you will also enjoy the topic of my video next week!

[@markburns993]

@@JustinMyersPhoto I shall look forward to it!

[@andychandler3992]

when I first started shooting in the 1's. it was all bokeh bokeh bokeh, I was even shooting wide open in broad daylight. BUUUUTTTTT after a couple lessons, good luck seeing me shoot below 2.

[@vikasdongre4080]

u r right

[@ChrisGrey]

Great advice.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Thanks for checking out the video! What kind of photography do you typically shoot?

[@acephotography4893]

Doesn't apply to 1.2 RF lenses...

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Haha, well I do understand the impulse on that one

[@Lubo54]

👍👍👍EXCELLENT

[@Swaggerlot]

Sadly while the internet is a huge educational resource, the world is full of people that are unable to apply the brain they are born with. Such a simple thing such as depth of field vs f stop should not need to be explained to anyone other than the most newest entrant, but so many 'photographers' persist in making it so complicated as to confuse.

[@lansiman]

you want deeper depth of field, you don't mind a bit of noise, why don't you just take photo with smartphone

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

You want blurry background, you don’t mind reduced optical quality, why don’t you just take photos with a smartphone

[@lansiman]

@@JustinMyersPhoto smartphone tiny sensor naturally had huge depth of field, plus optical quality isn't bad on most mainstream smartphone, everything you said you want in this video can be had with smartphone

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

@@lansiman you obviously didn’t listen to what I said in the video, but if your argument is: “well a smartphone can mimic that,” you could ignorantly claim that for any type of imaging

[@kellcoleStyleEnt]

Make since too me

[@paleyosezi3122]

If I hear bokah one more time I'm going vomit

[@tomstickland]

Extreme bokeh has become an overused cliche.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

I definitely agree

[@JamesBeau37]

Well said!

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Thanks and thanks for checking out the video! What kind of photography and/or video do you typically shoot?

[@charlesjames9783]

People like options. I love fast glass because it gives me more options. Also Canon tends to give better features and build quality in their 1.2 lenses. Stopping down usually improves image quality with most mfrs. this means that if you shot at f4.0 on the 1.2 you would getter IQ than a cheaper f4 lens that would look best stopped down to f5.6. Just my 2 cents.

[@kami-gun]

because YT photographer only take pictures of their plants and cats. LOL

[@alwinbenjamin]

👏🏻🌠

[@vinividivici5642]

It's not true

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

Well, it is hard to argue with your well-reasoned argument here

[@fraterlajos]

100% agree! When I see a portrait with that crazy washed out background I always think that it’s so unnatural. There can be artistic purposes when it looks good… but most of the time it looks unprofessional. I have a Lumix g95 and a Lumix S5 camera and I prefer the portraits with my g95 because I can use faster shutter speed and less blurry backgrounds. And this is a little bit funny because most of people buy a full frame camera for that background blur. The photography industry made us believe that we need a FF camera and we need that blur because it’s a professional look. That’s a lie.

[@JustinMyersPhoto]

It’s all about finding the gear that works best for you

[@costasprosperity3297]

👎🏻

[@nelsono4315]

wide open apertures have their time and place, like everything else. I never understood getting a 1.2 lens and shooting everything at 1.2. For indoor portraits f5.6 was my go-to aperture. Shooting at 1.2 for outdoor portraits is fine, but not all the time. All personal preference of course. Wide open all the time just doesn't work for me.

[@NT_1]

I am guilty of this. I have a 50mm 1.2GM and the Sony A7RV. I've been obsessed with wide aperture. While I got really cool bokeh and shallow depth of field images, most however could have been way better had I not used 1.2. There are a lot of pictures sitting in my lightroom cloud that are messed up by missing focus. I have learned my lesson.

[@nelsono4315]

@@NT_1 live and learn, right 🙂

[@ultrasportozonaazul1016]

Come on man... I do the opposite. I ONLY shoot less wide if I need to. The shots with my 35/50/85 1.4 lenses, looks absolutly cinematic and wonderful wide Open. If I want to shoot in F4 the 24-105 is just fine. Come on...

[@bigbluerios]

Ehhh