Imagine never having to focus on what you’re photographing.  You could just snap away knowing you could refocus the shots later.  A new light-field camera will be launched this year by a company called Lytro, which will allow you to do just that. And it will mark a massive step forward in the evolution of photography as we know it.

The Lytro camera is designed for consumer use and allows you to take a digital photo which is unbelievably adjustable.  According to the developers, you can focus anywhere in the picture, change the light levels and create a picture you can tilt and shift in three dimensions.

The secret is that a light-field camera is able to capture the color, intensity, and direction of the rays of light in a shot – that’s a lot more information than a standard camera lens can harness.  The result is seriously impressive photos, which take on new significance depending on what you choose to focus on.  Like the Elvis dancing picture above.  Do you want to look at the buildings in the background, or Elvis dancing in the foreground?

The Lytro website includes a gallery of  ‘living’ photos to showcase the light-field technology.  Have a look at some examples below.

[Source: Petapixel]