| Selective focus is basically what it sounds like. You | | | | your camera to a smaller f-stop number. |
| select what portion of your image you want to | | | | Remember, smaller f-stop numbers actually |
| be in focus while selectively blurring or making the | | | | increase the size of the lens aperture, or lens |
| rest of the photograph out of focus. This | | | | opening of the lens. By using a lens opening |
| technique can be used in a variety of ways. | | | | somewhere between F4 and F2.8. You will get |
| Selective focus or shallow depth of field helps to | | | | more dramatic blur, or shallower depth of field. |
| bring a sense of depth and interest to your | | | | If are using a point and shoot camera you may |
| photographs. It's very useful with portraits, | | | | not be able to adjust your aperture by dialing in a |
| close-up and macro photography. When done | | | | different f-stop number, but you can try using |
| properly it can isolate your main point of interest | | | | the "macro" setting on your camera. (Check your |
| and will give your prints more depth and better | | | | camera manual for instructions.) And if you don't |
| composition. | | | | have a macro setting, try putting it in "portrait" |
| Selective focus is created with your lens aperture. | | | | mode. Again, check your camera manual for |
| The larger your lens opening the shallower your | | | | complete instructions. |
| depth of field or field of focus will be. The larger | | | | Be careful not to create motion blur which is |
| your lens opening the more light will reach your | | | | caused by using to slow of a shutter speed. For |
| film plane or image sensor. This will require faster | | | | normal focal length lenses use a shutter speed of |
| shutter speeds which is actually a bonus, because | | | | at least 1/60 second or faster. For telephoto |
| you won't be required to use a tri-pod. You can | | | | lenses use a shutter speed of at least 1/125 |
| create this effect with point-and-shoot cameras, | | | | second or faster. |
| too. (More on that below.) | | | | Again the longer the zoom, the more dramatic |
| To create selective focus, the primary camera | | | | the blurred area will be. |
| setting you need to pay attention to is the | | | | Another quick tip; Try shooting from a from a |
| aperture size (or the opening of the lens which is | | | | low angle when shooting macro or close ups of |
| measured in f-stops) and the telephoto setting of | | | | flowers etc. When shooting from a lower angle be |
| the lens. If you have a zoom lens or telephoto | | | | sure to take note of the brightness of the back |
| lens you should experiment to find what focal | | | | ground. If it is bright or heavily back lit be sure to |
| length you are most comfortable with. The longer | | | | make the necessary exposure compensation by |
| the focal length that you choose to use, the | | | | adjusting your shutter speed to achieve proper |
| shallower your depth of field or field of focus will | | | | exposure or you may end up with a silhouette |
| be. | | | | image. |
| "Stopping your lens down." This means setting | | | | |