1. A method for providing a digital image having controlled sharpness characteristics, the method being implemented at least in part by a data processing system, comprising: receiving a set of candidate digital images of a common scene, each digital image having different sharpness characteristics; applying an image segmentation process to segment each of the candidate digital images into a subject region and a background region; for each candidate digital image automatically analyzing the subject region to determine an associated subject sharpness level and automatically analyzing the background region to determine an associated background sharpness level; defining an aim subject sharpness level for the subject region and defining an aim background sharpness level for the background region; selecting an output digital image having desirable sharpness characteristics from the set of candidate digital images responsive to the aim subject sharpness level and the aim background sharpness level and to the determined subject sharpness level and the determined background sharpness level associated with each candidate digital image; and storing an indication of the output digital image in a processor-accessible memory.