point of focus - photography from an art director's point of view - selective focusing

introduction -
http://dpplus.blogspot.com/2012/01/point-of-focus-photography-from-art_5648.html
a. Reducing Clutter -
http://dpplus.blogspot.com/2012/01/point-of-focus-photography-from-art_809.html
b. Cropping -
http://dpplus.blogspot.com/2012/01/point-of-focus-photography-from-art_335.html
c. Vignetting -
http://dpplus.blogspot.com/2012/01/point-of-focus-photography-from-art_29.html

d. Selective-focusing

photo by Christopher de Venecia for Digital Photography Plus

How to do it? Just set your camera to aperture priority, use a lens with a big opening (the lower the opening number, the bigger the opening) examples are f1.2, f1.4 or f1.8. You can also use telephotos or long lenses. They almost always tend to bring about this effect when set on a lower aperture. Select a point in the frame where the element should be given focus. Only the element focused will be detailed the rest of the elements will take on a soft focused, obscured effect.

It doesn’t apply to all types of shots though and you don’t just create a shallow depth of field in your photos just because your lens has the capacity to do so or just because it is the trend and more photographers do it. It has its own important function especially in editorial photography. And one of it is to reduce the clutter in a photograph so viewers’ eyes will be guided to follow what the photograph set out to be focused on. It is one very effective means of filtering out unwanted elements in a frame so readers can pay attention to only the essential element or detail in the piece.

One important rule of thumb whether to do a selective focus or not - just make sure that the element being given such special treatment and detail deserves  the attention.