Is missing focus always a mishap?

The sun was out today so I head into the forest for some macro shoots. Given the large focus range of the macro lens (from 0.28 cm/0.92 ft to infinity) the camera sometimes hunts for focus and I need to temporarily switch to manual focus to put it back on track.

However today the annoyance of the camera for missing focus on some backlit leaves turned into an unexpected surprise when I realised the out of focus shapes of leaves made for some interesting abstract photography.

Abstract Forest 1 f4, 1/250, ISO 200

The first photo came out of sheer luck and it took me some time to understand the right ingredients for this type of shots.

Abstract Forest 3 f4, 1/500, ISO 200

So the moral of the story today is that having an out of focus subject doesn’t necessarily mean a missed shot. An out of focus subject can still create a powerful image and atmosphere.

Abstract Forest 3 f4, 1/800, ISO 200

Abstract Forest 4 f4, 1/400, ISO 200