Pascal Baetens. Nude Photography. The Art and The Craft. 2007

104 exploring techniques

sharpness & blur gallery

these images have little classic sharpness, but i hope none

of them would be rejected on the grounds that it is “out of

focus.” each has been deliberately blurred to a greater

or lesser extent in order to create or enhance a particular

mood that i felt appropriate at the time. Whether they impart

dynamism, mystery, fantasy, or romance to an image, each

effect plays an intrinsic role in the overall impact. As with most

techniques in this book, these are easy, and there is no need

to buy filters or expensive lenses, nor to become an image

manipulation expert—they are all in-camera effects.

Emmanuelle, Saint Remy de Provence, 2005

this effect of “standing still in motion” was obtained with a long lens and a long

exposure time without a tripod. the picture might tell you about emmanuelle’s

insecurity and doubts as to which direction she should take, or perhaps she

is simply enjoying the environment.

T., Arles, 2006

the model’s huddled pose is emphasized by the zooming effect, for which

a relatively long exposure time is needed—in this case, ½ a second. to me,

this image expresses some pain and a search for protection, but others

might make their own, perhaps very different, interpretation.

Natalie, Palo Alto, 2003

using maximum aperture on my old 35mm f/1.4 lens enabled me to get

very sharp focus on natalie’s nipple. she is lying with her face tilted to the

light, enjoying the sensual feel of the water and sunshine on her skin. the

way that the image drifts into a soft blur perfectly matches the dreamy mood.