Focus and Bokeh Blur

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  1. TTG photographers can use whatever lens* and aperture they want when recording a scene.

  • Photos that exhibit any amount of optically [lens] generated bokeh blur are eligible for TTG
  
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  *If using a swing/tilt setup of any kind — a precision tilt/shift lens, an aftermarket tilt adapter, a Lensbaby, or a view camera — see #7 below.
  
  

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  2. Combined-exposure photos must be focus-maximized

  As per the focus maximization requirement in P3,
  
  . . . any multi-exposure photograph (like smartphones routinely make) is disqualified from TTG if it does not show as much of the scene as “in focus” as can be, based on the sum of what the camera recorded in all of the exposures that were combined.
  
  #2 applies regardless of the device used to make the photos and regardless of how many exposures were combined to make the photo.
  
  

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  3. The presence of any fokeh (or any other non-optical blur) always disqualifies the photo from P2 and TTG.

  P2 is here.
  The Key entry on fokeh is here.
  The Key entry on blur is here.
  The FAQ on fokeh is here.
  
  

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  4. Photos are disqualified from TTG if the “quality” of out-of-focus areas is changed.

  It isn’t just about “quantity,” i.e., how much of the scene is rendered out of focus:
  
  Any post-exposure changes of any kind* to bokeh, blur, or the rendering of out-of-focus areas disqualify the photograph from P2 and from TTG.
  
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  *apart from effects of TTG’s Allowable Changes
  
  

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  5. Something in every TTG photo must be in focus.

  A photo with nothing in focus will not meet rinairs (as required by P7) and is TTG-ineligible.
  
  

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  6. Focus stacking of a motionless subject is allowed in principle...

  . . . but on a real-world level, it may be difficult or impossible — except on a very limited and automated level — to refocus quickly enough to start all of the exposures within the same single second (as is required by P5 any time the photographer has control over combining exposures).
  
  See the guide to combining exposures for a complete list of the “combining” limits imposed by the Trust Test.
  
  

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  7. Contraswing and contratilt effects (the “toy city” look) — always disqualify a photograph from TTG.

  “Contraswing” and “contratilt” effects are the rendering of prominent areas of the photograph less in focus by making the camera’s “focus” plane non-parallel with the “recording” plane.
  
  What are “swing” and “tilt”?
  
  This disqualification applies whether the contraswing / contratilt effects are achieved at the time the photograph is recorded (with use of a geared tilt lens, with a view camera, or with a Lensbaby or similar flexible lens) or whether they are achieved later, with software.
  
  Since contraswing/contratilt images cannot meet rinairs (as per P7) no matter how many of TTG’s Allowable Changes are applied, those images are considered TTG-ineligible.
  
  Contraswing/contratilt images cannot qualify for the TTG label no matter how they are achieved, presented, labeled, or explained.
  
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  Note that using “swing” or “tilt” during the exposure to render prominent areas of the photograph more in focus does not disqualify photographs from rinairs or from TTG; see this page.
  
  

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  8. When multiple exposures are combined, all focus effects in the final image must be “optically plausible” or the photograph cannot meet P7.

  “Optically plausible”
  
  Guide to combining photographs
  
  P7 of the Trust Test