This one evolved from being a lighting experiment to its current form, pushing shallow depth of field as far as I can go with my current equipment. The 50mm is the only lens I have that goes down to f/1.8, and every incremental stop from there would cost an extra couple hundred dollars each, with lenses that go to f/1.4 or f/1.2. f/1.8 is nothing to sneeze at though, and in many circumstances it's enough to get the job done. Normally in this image, with the subject and "background" of the other pieces so close together, you would expect it to be hard to isolate the focus on the rook, since distance between camera and subject, and subject and background also factor into the depth of field equation. But the combination of focal length and low f-stop is enough to accomplish it. So that's helpful for me to know I can pull off that kind of shot with this lens, and not have to worry about sourcing a "faster" (lower f-stop) lens.
EXIF data:
1/20, f/1.8, ISO 100
50mm focal length
1/20, f/1.8, ISO 100
50mm focal length