Flowers-DOF & Point of Focus Part 2

As we saw in the DOF example, the area in focus plays a major part in how your final image feels and looks.  Having out of focus areas is perfectly acceptable and they can be an intentional creative factor in your image.  So.....are all out of focus areas acceptable or are there some guidelines to keep in mind?  Do I want out of focus areas in all images?

As a general rule of thumb, out of focus areas in the background are better accepted than out of focus areas in the foreground. 

In this image you can clearly see the focus fall off as you move back in the image.  I made a decision to keep the first flower in focus.  I set the camera to manual focus, and used DOF preview to find an aperture and point of focus that would give me sharp focus on the front of the first flower. 

I often use the technique of selecting an aperture then depressing DOF preview to manually focus.  This gives me the most complete control possible over what is in focus and what is out of focus.  In this case I selected f11 and my point of focus was about 1/2 way back on the nearest flower petals.  I know that my DOF extends about 1/3rd in front of and 2/3ths behind my point of focus.  The front petals and the center of the flower were the areas where I wanted sharp focus so selecting that point of focus gave me my desired result.

Many people have trouble using DOF preview and some cameras do not offer that option.  With digital cameras you always have the option of shooting an image and then looking at the result.  Examine the image, adjust and then shoot again until you get the look you want.  If you are having trouble seeing the camera display, purchase a camera loupe from Hoodman.  These 3" loupes are designed to shield and magnify the camera display so you can see your image.  You can also enlarge your image in the readout but when you do that you cannot see the whole image at once. 

You can really get the creative tools cooking when you combine your choice of point of focus with your choice of aperture.  With this subject I could use aperture to get all 4 flowers in focus but the price of that DOF is a cluttered background.  I choose to open up the aperture, hold focus on the front 3 flowers and gain a softer background at the expense of losing sharp focus on the back flower. 

Was I right or wrong?  Who knows?  I think so but what is important is the thought process that you go through as you create your images.  Take control of the process!  Pre-visualize your image and use the tools available to you to make the image that you see in your mind.

Another way to control the clutter is by working with the background....more later.