Because of the fine selective focusing, the Lensbaby is able to create portraits on a whole new level by keeping specific points like the eyes in sharp focus while the rest of the body is soft, as in this photo of Arizona pitcher Alicia Hollowell.  I felt that Alicia’s strongest feature was her intensity of her eyes; therefore I elected to use the Lensbaby’s fine selective “sweet spot” the small sharpest point that is in focus, and keep her eyes focused. The beauty of the Lensbaby is that it does this so quickly and easy. Thankfully, with each design improvement of the Lensbaby, the selective focusing is simpler to lock in and hold.

[Editor's Note: Dave Sanders' review is of an earlier generation Lensbaby, the Lensbaby 3G. The Control Freak, which is an updated version of the 3G that will work with the Lensbaby Optic Swap system, will be available in spring of 2010. To see the latest line of Lensbaby gear, including the Composer, Muse and Optic Swap System (all available now), check out lensbaby.com.]