Bokeh with T4i

R2D2 wrote:

Crotonmark wrote:

jvceac wrote:

Yes, isolation or shallow depth of field.

so what could I have done?

My seat was my seat and my lens was my lens

You could capture all the action. Some of which would be close (nice background blur), and some further away (very little background blur). Or you could decide to maximize background blur in all of your images by only shooting the close action (and miss out on the rest). Can you afford to go this route?

Don't forget the other 2 parts of the equation either: Use the largest aperture that you can (small f-number), and use the long focal lengths (as much zoom as possible). Doing these threee things will ensure you get as much background blur as possible.

There are of course tradeoffs to each of these though. So you'll have to decide what aspect(s) are most important. For instance large apertures and long focal lengths will indeed maximize background blur, but also minimize depth of field (fewer of your action shots will be in focus!). Longer focal lengths will also mean more chance of camera shake and/or subject motion blur. Being close to your subject means difficulty in framing and tracking. Starting to get the picture?

So the recommendation to "shoot a lot" really is significant here. You'll soon be able to determine what the camera's limits are, and what yours are. Shooting indoor sports is Hard. Don't get discouraged! Revel in the really really good shots you get. They'll be worth it.

Happy shooting!

R2

Thanks so much - food for thought!