New Camera Puts the Focus Where You Want It

August 30, 2011.
Photography by Mary A. Gravelle.
©2011 Mary A. Gravelle

There's a new camera coming out later this year from Lytro. The new technology allows the photographer to worry about the focus later in the studio. What does this mean for the fine art photographer? What does this mean for the visual artist who paints from photographs?

Fun for both, I would say. For the photographer, it means shooting for the fun of it and creatively focusing the shot later in the studio. Knowing good composition and framing are still key. So, this will not change what to shoot in a photograph. It will change how to shoot a photograph, taking the emphasis off of focus.

For the artist using photographs, this brings many options available to them. I'm thinking series of paintings using focus as the main theme. I suppose the photographer could also make a series of photographs out of one photo using different focus / focal points.

Can you think of other ways in which this new camera will change the way we do art? Please leave a comment. I'd love to hear your ideas.

Read more about his new camera at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/technology/22camera.html?_r=1

Try out the technology at this interactive link: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/06/22/technology/20110622-CAMERA.html