At the dinner the other night I slapped on my 85mm and opened the aperture setting as far as it could go. The hangar is lit by ambient sunlight from the hangar doors and high hanging tungsten lights within, and while I was looking to compensate for that, I mostly wanted to blur as much of the very busy background as possible.

ISO 100, 1/200s, f/1.8

There is a lot of story swapping that goes on at an event like this.

ISO 100, 1/200s, f/1.8

ISO 100, 1/200s, f/1.8

ISO 100, 1/80s, f/1.8

Other times, you’re just taking it all in.

ISO 100, 1/80s, f/1.8

Or taking a breather . . .

ISO 100, 1/80s, f/1.8

You all chat away. I’ve got my cookie.

ISO 100, 1/80s, f/1.8

Rich.

ISO 100, 1/80s, f/1.8

I gave these two black and whites a little different treatment.  I also switched my ISO and stopped down my aperture a bit, as it was getting later and I was losing the light coming in from the hangar door.

Nancy.

ISO 400, f/2.8, 1/80s

Dessert was ice cream from two strategically placed carts. It looks like this guy got a bit more than he should have!

ISO 400, f/2.8, 1/80s

To show you what I was trying to avoid with my wide aperture, here are two I shot at f/8.

Volunteers at the front of the hangar, later in the evening.

ISO 400, f/8, 1/80s

Checking out the silent auction.

ISO 400, f/8, 1/80s

Sweetie being presented with the Volunteer of the Year award.

ISO 400, f/2, 1/160s