Quick Photography Tip: Don't shoot wide open.

Everyone loves dreamy, creamy, and blurry photo backgrounds. Bokeh is beautiful but it's far from the most important part of a strong photo. A blurry background is a wonderful way to remove distractions from an image and place the emphasis on your subject.

BUT!

Who cares how buttery and gorgeous your background is if your photo isn't in focus? Focus is the most important element of a strong image (exposure is a close second). Shooting wide open = using a large aperture (a small f-stop, for instance 1.4) and that means your area of focus  (depth of field) is *tiny*.

Nailing focus when you're new to photography, getting used to a new camera, and/or dealing with children is hard. It's not impossible, you'll get there but it takes work. When you're starting out try to cut yourself some slack, don't obsess over the buttery background, and work on nailing focus on your lovely subjects.