theme 4 week 1: SELECTIVE FOCUS

This month we will concentrate on exploring selective focus. With this technique, a shallow depth of field is used by opening the lens up to a wide aperture, and then focusing on a specific feature in the image. it will remain sharp while other elements appear soft and out of focus.
I unsuccesfully photographed this art installation of a large group of suspended upturned umbrellas, several weeks ago. The whole scene was too busy and the background fairly cluttered. It didn't occur to me to shoot this using a shallow depth of field and selective focus until the challenge to use this technique this month. I went back and re-photographed the umbrellas, this time with the lens aperture wide open, and focused on the handle closest to me. Everything else in the image, both in front of and especially behind the point of focus, becomes progressively softer, and all the distracting elements become blurred and eliminated. A high key treatment reinforces this softness and the surreal feeling that the umbrellas are gently floating, like clouds. Please click here to see Simone's image.