What is Selective Focus? A Simple Definition…

If you’re just starting out in photography you might think, “Shouldn’t my entire photo be in focus? Isn’t that what makes a great photo?” In part, yes. If you’re composition calls for the entire photo to be in focus, then yes, you want to make sure you’re shooting tack sharp from edge to edge.

But what if you want to get creative? What if you want to tell a story with your photo and put focus where you want the viewer’s eye to go? Well then, selective focus is for you!

Selective focus refers to choosing a large lens opening with a shallow depth of field, isolating the subject and blurring everything else, creating a nice bokeh effect. In practice, that means choosing an aperture of f/1.4 or f/2.8, allowing you to put focus on your subject and blur the rest of the composition.

This can also be done with creative lenses like the Lensbaby Composer, which I used in the photo below. You’ll see that I put the focus on the needles, blurring everything else.

You can also fake selective focus by using the Portrait setting on your iPhone, or simply moving your subject farther away from its background.

Nikon D60 | Lensbaby Composer | 1/80 sec | ISO 200

When you choose to use selective focus in your photography, it opens up a world of artistic freedom. I think of it as painting a photo. I choose what I want the viewer to see. And that is what creating art is all about.