Faking Depth of Field
Point and shoot cameras, even if equipped with some manual control, are often left on auto setting, the results are usually fine, but when more control over shutter speed, exposure and aperture is needed for better results, the budget pocket camera isn't always up to the task.
However, rather than rushing out to buy the new G10 or a digital SLR - why not spend a few minutes in Xara Xtreme 4 editing your favorite photos to simulate some photographic effects?
In the attached .xar file I've described how by using Xara Xtreme 4, I have achieved a reasonable shallow depth of field effect from a photo which was in sharp focus from the subjects in the foreground all the way into the distance as far as the eye could see. Nice for a scenic panoramas, but when you want to draw attention to foreground subjects, the background is best left unfocussed.
I don't expect this is the sort of thing you will want to do to all your photos, but it's a nice effect to use for special photos which might be used in electronic photo frames or greetings cards.
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