Mum-mum gave me three Paper White bulbs as a birthday present. I planted them a few weeks ago and they are already blooming!
![Paper Whites Paper Whites](https://i0.wp.com/www.blog.catandturtle.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Backyard_101128_2.jpg?resize=500%2C0)
Paper Whites
I couldn’t resist pulling out the extension tubes and taking some close-up pictures of the first flowers.
![Paper Whites Close-up at f/2.8 Paper Whites Close-up at f/2.8](https://i0.wp.com/www.blog.catandturtle.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Backyard_101128_3.jpg?resize=500%2C0)
Paper Whites Close-up at f/2.8
Someone was asking me the other day about why you should pay attention to the f-stop number in photography. Often when I am photographing birds, especially in low light, I set the camera to aperture priority and shoot wide open (f/5.6 on my 400mm lens). But for this picture, setting the aperture has a major effect on the background bokeh (blurriness). The image above was exposed at f/2.8. The one immediately below is at f/8.0, and the one further down is at f/18.0. Note how the background comes more into focus as the f-stop gets higher (and the lens aperture is smaller).
![Paper Whites Close-up at f/8.0 Paper Whites Close-up at f/8.0](https://i0.wp.com/www.blog.catandturtle.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Backyard_101128_5.jpg?resize=500%2C0)
Paper Whites Close-up at f/8.0
![Paper Whites Close-up at f/18.0 Paper Whites Close-up at f/18.0](https://i0.wp.com/www.blog.catandturtle.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Backyard_101128_4.jpg?resize=500%2C0)
Paper Whites Close-up at f/18.0