Shallow Focus Works When Appropriate

I have seen way too many photos using a Photoshop plugin to create the illusion of a shallow depth of field. Especially overused in food photography, this trendy apparition calls attention to itself and distracts from the picture's content, in my opinion.
Some times it is really necessary, even essential, when stressing a certain portion of an object. I recently did this to accentuate the face of a thermometer which is rather small. I didn't need to use a filter or digital FX, just plain ol good technique made it possible. I used my Nikon D70, the usual 80-200 lens greatly zoomed in, a Bogen tripod and, the real secret, a fast shutter speed and a wide open aperture, which gives you the shallow depth. Mere physics!!
Here's the result: