Source:www.jimippolito.com

Today you'll learn about the use of "selective focus" to put the emphasis on your subject, rather than an unattractive, distracting background.

This technique is employed for portraiture and differs from "people pictures" where you want to capture either a group or an individual, with an interesting background.

The object is to achieve sharp focus for your subject, while deliberately throwing the background out of focus, which will make your subject stand out rather then blend in with the surroundings.

If your digital camera has a "Portrait" setting, the job is basically already done for you. Just select that mode, which is indicated by an outline of a person's head.

For best effect portraits are taken at the "short telephoto lens focal length" of 70-110mm. Instead of sticking the camera in the subject's face to fill the frame, back off, about 6 feet, and then zoom the lens until the subjects face fills as much of the frame as you find pleasing. This will cause the background to go out of focus and put the emphasis on the subject.

My preference, as always, is to take these shots outdoors using natural lighting.

I didn't have a willing person available for this exercise, so I used Teddy, whose overall size approximates that of the human face, and he never complains.

In the first photo, taken using the standard "Auto" setting, the rocks on the ground are not in focus, but they still detract. The second shot was made using the "Portrait" mode, and now the rocks are far more indistinct.

The difference, while subtle, causes the subject to "pop out" from the background.

There are other methods that will achieve this effect, such as the use of a large lens opening coupled with a fast shutter speed, which is essentially what the portrait mode does, but your digital camera makes it easy for the casual photographer with its pre-programmed modes.

Here's a site with more detailed tips on digital portrait photography.