do you believe in magic?

I don't expect this post to be too wordy since I set it up in advance. I just wanted to share something I've noticed.

Photographers tend to love to shoot wide open. f/1.4 seems to be the holy grail for those who can afford it and f/1.8 is the magic number for people like me. While I understand the appeal, it wasn't until I decided to experiment that I began to understand why I should love my nifty fifty so much. All of these were shot using only available light.



This is my absolute favorite shot:

The only source of light for this was the traffic light at the intersection we were stopped at.

The magic comes from not only the shallow depth of field, the creamy skin, the sexy bokeh... but from the ability to capture my friends on our late-night outings without making them pose or blinding them with flash.


Dear home,
Send lenses that can open wide. (Or come see me so I can photograph you.)
Love, me