Selective Focus

In photography terms, 'Selective Focus' means that the photographer chooses which part of the image he/she would want to keep in focus. This could mean that the photographer chooses to keep the foreground in focus, blurring the background. Or keeping the mid ground / background in focus and blurring the rest of the image.

Using selective focus adds mood, drama and dimension to the final image.

It is very easy to create images with selective focus, this effect can be achieved with the use of macro lens, telephoto lenses or changing your depth of field, using a wide aperture anything from f1.4 to f5.6.

Here are a few examples of selective focus images.

Photograph of a wild flower taken in the garden, using a macro lens and fill-in flash

Wild Flower

Photograph of the bird, blurring the background

Lilac breasted roller bird

Photograph of a flower, taken using a macro lens, the point of focus was the centre of the flower

Orange Flower

Photograph of grass reed, taken early in the morning, the point of focus was the flowerhead, blurring the reed

Reed

The photograph below was taken on my mobile phone, by standing very close to the water droplet, the camera lens focused on the droplet and blurring the background. Most mobile phones have 'aperture' mode (which can be found under 'more' in your camera settings), using this setting, it allows you to choose your desired aperture.

Drop of water

The photograph below was also taken using my mobile phone, I selected the 'Aperture' mode on my phone and chose the widest aperture (f4) and focused on the bee.

Bee

The photograph below was taken using a standard lens, the point of focus was the single stem of bluebells

Blue Bells

Selective focus can be used in anywhere your photography; landscapes, street photography, portraits, it really depends what you as a photographer want to show through your photographs, by creating mood and drama to the images.

Bhupinder Ghatahora ABIPP, ARPS, ASWPP

Ghatahora Photography

info@ghatahora.co.uk

www.ghatahora.co.uk

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Friday's Tip

Tip 17:

Be selective; use selective focus to create interesting images

Bhupinder Ghatahora
Ghatahora Photography

info@ghatahora.co.uk
www.ghatahora.co.uk
@Ghatahora
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Taking Better Photos Tip 18

Tip 18:

Be selective; use selective focus to create interesting images

Bhupinder Ghatahora
Ghatahora Photography

info@ghatahora.co.uk
www.ghatahora.co.uk
@Ghatahora
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Taking Better Photos Tip 14

Tip 14:

Use a macro lens or the macro function on your camera for close-up photography

Bhupinder Ghatahora
Ghatahora Photography

info@ghatahora.co.uk
www.ghatahora.co.uk
@Ghatahora
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Composition - 02.09.0215

Composition can be a tricky subject to understand.

Here are a few simple composition tips to keep in mind when taking photographs.

These tips will help you improve your photography and it will also make you think about your image before you press the shutter release.

• Basic Triangles:

Look for the basic triangles in your scene, these triangles will be formed naturally by the shapes in the environment or structures.

• Enhance the detail:

Move closer to the subject; create a tighter crop to enhance the detail and add impact.

The photograph below shows the lady standing in a park and it does not add impact to the image.

By zooming in or moving closer to the subject creating a tighter crop, adds impact to the portrait (see below). The crop emphasis on the model's face, her make-up and her eyes.

• Use Selective focus:

Use a wider aperture (f2.8 orf5.6) to blur the background. This will isolate the main subject from the background.

• Change your View Point:

It is always best to take a little more time with your photography, especially in finding the most interesting view. Look around and find a different spot to shoot from than the one just in front of you: take a walk down paths, look for new angles, this means getting down lower to the ground, finding a higher up vantage point to photograph from. Explore your scene and experiment with different viewpoints and you will find something magical.


I took this photograph, but was not happy as the green foliage on the bottom left corner looks messy. I decided to change my viewpoint.

I decided to point the camera down at the flower bud. The background is blurred, isolating the subject from its messy foliage.

• Leading Lines:

Include leading lines in your image. Look out for a natural lines leading to the subject. These could be a path, road, fence, etc.

• Organise Shapes:

Organise shapes to create a repeated pattern.

• Compose for Contrast:

Isolate the subject to create a contrast. Look out for subjects that 'stand-out' the most. Photograph these subjects by moving closer.

• Use Natural Frames:

Look out for doorways, tree arches, frames created naturally. Include these in your photographs.

• Use Rule of Third:

Use 'Rule of Third' as guide to frame the scene. Place the subject on the points where the vertical and horizontal lines meet.

• Watch your Horizon:

It’s best that before you take a photograph always look at the horizon on two points:

a)      Is the horizon straight? It is easier to have your horizon straight in the camera viewfinder before pressing the shutter release, saving time to straighten the image later in editing softwares.

      b)     Where to place the horizon? The ‘correct’ natural spot for a horizon is on either the top third line or the bottom line of the ‘rule of thirds’, rather than completely in the middle. In saying this, rules can be broken if you are completely sure that your image with the horizon is very striking.

(See diagram below for where to place the horizon)

Example of photograph showing the horizon on the 'Top Third' line.

Example of photograph showing the horizon on the 'Bottom Third' line.

• Be Creative:

Most importantly be creative and enjoy taking photographs.

I hope this brief insight into Composition assists you in taking better photographs.

Bhupinder Ghatahora

Ghatahora Photography

www.ghatahora.co.uk

info@ghatahora.co.uk

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