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Thread: Selective Focus

  1. #1

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    Selective Focus

    I am looking at one of Adrian Bregazzi's photographs in the August 1980 issue of Camera and I am perplexed as to how he achieved this image. It is unusual in that it is comprised of five alternating vertical bands of sharp and soft focus... he either cleverly used the edges of trees to emphasize the effect or the trees are producing it themselves.

    A short description.... 4x5 in vertical orientation, forest image from left to right.... Left edge birch tree trunk (near distance) in sharp focus // band of background out of focus // slender tree trunk(mid distance, dead centre) in sharp focus // band of background in sharp focus // band of background out of focus // slender tree trunk (mid distance right edge) very out of focus.

    I perused the block illustrations in Stroebel's book but can find no configuration that resembles Bregazzi's image. Any ideas or web references as to how this effect was achieved would be appreciated as I would like to steal (oops... I mean 'explore') this idea for my own work.

    Cheers Annie

  2. #2
    Tracy Storer's Avatar
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    Selective Focus

    Hard to say without seeing it? I wish I could see it to try to figure it out. Best,
    Tracy Storer
    Mammoth Camera Company tm
    www.mammothcamera.com

  3. #3
    Tracy Storer's Avatar
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    Selective Focus

    Just re-read your description...sounds like focus recedes from near left to far right? Could it just be a big swing?
    Tracy Storer
    Mammoth Camera Company tm
    www.mammothcamera.com

  4. #4

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    Selective Focus

    On second thought it was probably ridiculous of me to post this question...... rather like describing music using shadow puppets. Tracy I don't think it is a big swing because the background on one side of the skinny tree in the middle is out of focus on one side and perfectly in focus on the other.... It is very cool however!

  5. #5

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    Selective Focus

    On third thought..... Tracy how about I send you the magazine (just so you know... I think it may be 'hot'... picked it up a bunch of them for a quarter each at a garage sale..... it is from a public library, but the due stamp says May 10 1982... I assume they have written it off!) ...you figure out the technique and post the results!

    Cheers Annie

  6. #6

    Selective Focus

    How about you scan and post the picture in some web site and give us the link? I woul dbe interested to see what you are talking about. I get the feeling you are talking about double swings, front and back in the same direction, but without seeing the picture, it is very hard to say.

  7. #7

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    Selective Focus

    Sorry Jorge, no scanner at the moment..... I'll work it out eventually...how many combinations of movements can there be.

  8. #8
    Whatever David A. Goldfarb's Avatar
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    Selective Focus

    My guess from the description is that there is some swing to get the two receeding trees in focus, and then shift with a lens that doesn't cover the format with good definition, so one side would be out of focus no matter where the plane of focus is. It would be interesting to see.

  9. #9

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    Selective Focus

    I believe we have a contender! ......David I think you are correct, looking closely at the bottom right corner there is the slightest hint of that distinctive 'curved blur' that comes from the edge of the image circle. The light falloff is not evident as he has placed that area over a tree with a dark bark.

    I never would have figured this out by trial and error... I had a lens on the Sinar with coverage from here to next Thursday. I am going to try this with the 7x11... I think it has enough shift to take advantage of the one edge with some of my lenses...

    You are very clever...... Thanks.

  10. #10

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    Selective Focus

    I still wanna see the photo

    maybe you could take a pic of it with a decent digicam?

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