shArpness & Blur 99Creating mystery
in one of these images, the viewer is
in no doubt as to its content: the model
is standing by a window looking out.
the other might be taken to be a
mistake on the part of the photographer,
but it is not. in the case of a high-
contrast, blurred image the lighter areas
will tend to diminish the darker ones, in
this instance making the model look like
a wraith at the window. the flesh-and-
blood girl has been transformed
into a creature of dreams.
Tricking the eye
Many people have believed that the image on the left was taken
on a beach but in fact it was taken in a field (above). i used a long
lens with a wide aperture to blur the background, and the beach
location is suggested only by the model’s sarong and pose.