Photography transformed
One skill a photographer has to learn is to adjust camera settings to focus on the most important element in his/her photo. This factor, called depth of field, can be controlled if you know how to set (and choose properly) the lens opening, called f-stop. See how this works below.
The first photo emphasizes the person, the second, the flower.
A skilled photographer makes judgements like this constantly, and may take multiple shots to get the best result.
That may all change in the very near future.
Living Pictures
A company called Lytro recently announce a camera that uses what's called "light field" technology to create images that can be changed after the fact, something they call "Living Pictures." They promise that the camera will be comparable in size and price to current consumer products. Oh, and it will work great in low-light conditions. And it will let you choose 2D or 3D.
All this sounds way too good to be true, but I'm looking forward to later this year when the real thing becomes available. If it lives up to the hype it really will transform photography.
To see how I made the images above, click on the part of this photo that you want to be in focus. Double-click to zoom.
Pretty cool, no? Lots more examples in their Picture Gallery.
