Weekly Photo Challenge: Focus ~ On What Matters Most

The rose in the foreground is sharply in focus

This week’s challenge is on focus.  I took these two pictures while standing at the same distance from the roses, but changed the aperture setting, adjusting the opening of the camera’s lens in each.  In the top photo, I used an F-stop of 4.5; in the one below, an F-8.

The difference in focus is subtle, but the one above shows the rose in the foreground in sharp focus with the background blurry.  In the bottom one, you can see more of the details in the leaves and rose bud in the back.

Now the background is clearer

I could have tampered with the settings even more, rendering the background as fully in focus as the center rose, but I instead chose these two pictures for a reason.

As Christians, we are to love the LORD our God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, but also to love our neighbors as our self.  In other words, our love for Christ comes first, then we love others, demonstrating a proper balance with what matters most in life.

To demonstrate our need to love others, I chose to bring the background softly into focus in the bottom photo.  Our concern for the things of earth and our fellow-man should always be on our radar, just not ever to the point of stealing our focus off of Christ.

Even though we are to love our neighbors, though, our primary focus must always be Jesus.  Like the rose in the first picture stands out dramatically from the background, our desire for Christ, our rose of Sharon, should eclipse all other.  He should matter most.

I am the rose of Sharon
Song of Solomon 2:1

From The Daily Post

For similar posts, see Weekly Photo Challenge.

Sue Nash/2013

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