At this point in your photo history, you realized a long time ago that making a photo is much more complicated than pressing a button. And even more complicated if you want more than a photo; if you want to have a good picture, does it really get complicated?
Although the most normal thing to begin with is that we are hallucinated by the composition, and that we dedicate most of our efforts to it, the truth is that the best way to ruin an image is not through it, even through light or the subject. Yes, the photograph is light, but also and especially the focus.
- Focus looks at us.
- Tells us what is important in the image.
- And even in what order and in which line we should look at it.
- Tells us if this image is transgressive.
- If it respects the rules or if this image is simply Worth nothing but garbage because it is a big mistake.
- And interestingly.
- Focus-related errors are the most recurrent and insurmountable when it comes to photographic errors.
According to the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy), the focus is on
“It makes the image of an object produced in the focus of a lens clearly collected on a particular plane or object. “Royal Spanish Academy ©
Look at the following image:
It is said that Mario is focused, when the image he projects passes through the lens and joins precisely in the plane of the sensor; identical to the first image, on the contrary, an image is said to be blurry, when the image is formed outside the sensor plane, either before or after, as can be seen very clearly in the second image.
In general, we have two types of approaches, each with its peculiarities and applications in specific situations, to move from one to the other it is necessary to do so through your lens, moving the button from M or MF (Manual) to A or AF (automatic) or vice versa.
Manual focus is one that you should focus on manually by rotating the focus wheel on your lens.
This is the one that automatically focuses the camera. Autofocus is divided into several types:
AF-S, AF-C, AF-A for Nikon or One Shot, AI Servo, AI Focus for Canon
The differences between them lie mainly in the movement or not of the subject or what we are going to represent:
The focus area is the area of the image that we want to focus on, usually these are the options of most SLR cameras, regardless of the make and model:
This is the most accurate, because you tell the camera exactly where to direct its focus, limiting the focus area to a minimum, leaving no room for manoeuvre for the camera. This system is the most accurate, although it is not valid. for all situations It is recommended for static subjects.
In this type of focus we select, as in the single point, a focus point, from there the camera will select an area around it that you can enlarge and reduce depending on the area in which you expect the action to take place. This system is recommended for moving subjects or still scenes where movement can be expected.
In this case, it is the camera that decides what to focus on based on certain preset parameters, such as the closest focus to the target (distance), the largest or the appearance of a person by tone (contrast is not very accurate and your settings and theirs do not always match, so it has a reasonable margin of error in situations where the focus is unclear or does not correspond to the parameters size, distance or contrast.
Even if you’re a fan of focus, there will be situations where you’ll have to give up if you want to get the photo. As if you’re a speed fanatic, you have to indulge in the importance of focusing on some images. . This must be decided in advance by the priority of the shot:
As already indicated by the name, the camera understands that until the subject or object is perfectly developed it should not take the image, that is, until it is indicated that it must be clear, it is not, and even if the button trigger is pressed, it will not work.
When you have a scene where priority is more of the scene itself than the perfection of focus, you need to use that option. Can you imagine a football game? If you prioritized focus, you could hardly take pictures, but you can shoot whenever you want, whatever the concentration of “perfection. “
And once we have a general idea of how configurable approach is, let’s see how and in what situations we can apply everything we’ve seen so far.
In macro photography, focus is extremely accurate, so we’ll give the highest priority to finding the perfect focus in the right place.
Focus mode: manual
Focus area: a single point
Shooting priority: focus
Whenever we control most variables, as is often the case in study sessions, it is best not to risk concentration and try to control it as manually and accurately as possible. This will reduce the “Let it be decided” error margin. our camera. Other examples that we could include in this category could be, for example, gastronomy, still lifes, flowers?Everything static in one?
Focus mode: the most accurate manual or automatic (AF-S or One Shot)
Focus area: a single point
Shooting priority: focus
They are static and sharpness and focus are essential, so it is important to choose the variables that give us the most accurate approach.
Focus mode: manual and, if possible, through “Live View” for more accurate accuracy.
Focus area: single point
Shooting priority: focus.
We chose the manual because we have time to do it and because it is the way to make sure we focus exactly where we want to be, it is easy for the camera to get lost in landscapes where there are few elements that stand out. We chose a single point focus area, because it is also the one that guarantees the highest precision in static objects and, finally, since the priority is focus and sharpness, we cannot let our camera take the photo if it is not perfectly. Clear. which is sharp.
This will depend on whether they are static or if you expect the subject to move, but focus research also prevails. Depending on whether you’re anticipating a move or not, you’ll have to choose between a manual or automatic focus mode.
Focus mode: manual or automatic (AF-S / One Shot)
Focus area: a single point
Shooting priority: focus
Focus mode: AF-C /AI automatic servo
Focus area: a single point
Shooting priority: focus
In both cases we prioritize the approach and assume that the subject will not move or that it will do at least as little, so the two options are practically the same, although there is some movement (second case) and in the first case, the portrait must be completely perched statically.
Note: Remember the importance of a good eye focus on portrait photography.
Night is not always synonymous with very little light, but isn’t that strange either? In these situations, it is common for the camera to not find focus in auto mode, so a simple way to fix the problem is to switch to manual focus.
Focus mode: manual
Focus area: depends on the type of photography
Shooting priority: depends on the type of photo
In general, anything that involves a movement, okay?Using an autofocus mode, although, as always, is a matter of taste and practice, and of knowing how we feel most comfortable or comfortable. , such situations can be found on the move.
This situation is totally contrary, for example, to what can be found when photographing landscapes or architecture. Here our subjects are constantly moving and get a “perfect” approach. It’s hard to say the least.
Focus mode: AF-C /AI automatic servo
Focus area: dynamic
Shooting priority: shot
Usually, you don’t have too much time to compose your images, you try to improvise in a row, so it’s hard to think of a manual focus mode in this case. Here, we tend to care more about the scene in general than a perfect approach, so a focus priority doesn’t make sense, because it would make us lose most of the interesting images we could see.
Focus mode: AF-C / AI servo auto
Focus area: Dynamic (you can expand it depending on the area you want to cover)
Shooting priority: shot
However, it will depend on what kind of concert it is, whether you are near the stage or not, whether the musicians move or not, etc. The most common case, however, is that you look a little far away. and your musicians move on stage, so this is the panorama we’ll stay with for this example.
Focus Mode: Af-A/AI AutoFocus: Subject may be stationary, but it is likely to start moving at any time.
Focus area: Dynamic (you can expand it depending on the area you want to cover)
Shooting priority: shot
Are these just a few examples to see?As you can see, it all depends on the degree of control you have on stage, the more you control your environment, the more recommended a manual focus mode is to ensure sharp focus. the more the situation under your control (moving objects, people or animals), the more you need to help with one of the autofocus modes offered by most SLR cameras. There is no one-on-one recipe for each situation, as this will depend on your preferences and the specific situation that is presented to the objective, however, remember that you have multiple functions that can be adapted to each of these situations, and that there is one better than the other?
That’s all for today, if you liked it, it served you and you think someone else might be interested or interested in making the most of it, share it on your favorite social network: Google, Facebook or Twitter. And as always, thank you for taking your time?