#aperture

I've been trying to capture this one photo for weeks now... and I'm so relieved I finally got it right!! 📸 I was experimenting with different apertures and shutter speeds, and I think I've found the perfect combination for this particular scene. Maybe I'm just being too critical, but I feel like the lighting is just right... not too harsh, not too soft. What do you think?? Are there any other photography enthusiasts out there who have struggled with getting the perfect shot?? I'd love to hear about your experiences... and maybe get some feedback on my photo??

So last night I was bragging about getting that dreamy bokeh with a 50mm f/1.4 and ended up with a photo that looks like a fogged glass window. Turns out I set the aperture to f/1.4, but I also cranked the ISO to 6400 and hit a slow shutter because I was chasing that 'cinematic' look. The result? A ton of noise and the background was just as sharp as the subject. My brain told me a wide aperture automatically makes everything behind it melt away, but I ignored the fact that depth of field is also about focal length and distance. Ended up with a mess and had to trash the whole series. Anyone else fallen for the same shortcut? How do you keep the bokeh legit without turning the shot into a grainy mess?