In Focus - when to use manual focus

I'm guessing many of you SLR users don't often use the manual focus on your camera. Most of the time the trusty auto focus mode will do the job just fine. However, there are a few instances where manual focus may produce a sharper image than auto focus. (PS just in case - to manually focus your SLR most cameras have a button or switch that allows you to in essence toggle between manual and auto focus. To manually focus you turn a ring on the lens. Check your camera manual to find the toggle button or switch - email/comment if you have specific questions about how to manually focus).

Here are 5 instances where manual focus may work better:

1) portraits - the key to a great portrait is for the eyes to be in sharp focus. Oftentimes, I find that when using auto focus when photographing portraits, I get something other than the eyes in focus. Using manual focus, you have more control to ensure the eyes are actually in focus.

2) low light - your camera's auto focus may have a difficult time determining what to focus on in low light situations. One sign your auto focus is struggling? If it zooms in and out without focusing on anything. Switch to manual focus in low light to get the photo.

3) macro work - remember this post on close up filters? You will definitely need to use manual focus for shots this close up, due to the very shallow depth of field in macro photography.

4) shooting through glass/fences/wire - it's easy for your camera's auto focus to become confused when you are shooting through something like a chain link fence. Manual focus allows you to control what subject the camera will focus on.

5) action photography - if your attempting to focus on a quickly moving object, like a race car, it is difficult for auto focus to adjust to the subject of your photo. Using manual focus allows you to prefocus on a place where the moving object will pass to get a focused shot. (your timing will need to be precise...)

Don't be afraid to use manual focus - it takes some practice to learn to use it quickly and to adjust it as your subject moves around. Go on - give it a try!

In Focus - using focal lock

So far on Lens Flare, I've covered exposure and composition with you, but we haven't really discussed focus - the third component to a great photo. Today's topic is focal lock - a simple but very effective technique to ensure the subject of your photo is in focus. This lesson applies to SLR and point and shoot photographers alike.

Many of you are probably thinking "I use auto focus, so my subject is always in focus - what's the problem?" Look at the photo below:

(photo courtesy of digital photography school)

It's pretty obvious the couple is the subject of this photo, but they're out of focus. The lady in between their heads, however, is in sharp focus. This is a depth of field issue as well - because of the shallow depth of field in this photo, the lady is in focus but much of what is in front of her (the couple) and behind her is out of focus as a result.

Auto focus is a wonderful thing, but it's no guarantee that what you actually want to be in focus will, in fact, be in focus. When you press the shutter button to focus the image, the camera must make a decision as to where to focus - in this photo it determined that the lady, not the couple, should be the focus. So how can you "train" your camera to focus on what you want? Focal lock.

When you are framing your photograph (imagine you are going to take the picture of the couple above), move your camera so that the subject (the couple's faces) are in the center of the viewfinder/LCD screen. With the subject in the center of your frame, press the shutter button halfway down to focus the image. WITHOUT LETTING GO OF THE SHUTTER BUTTON move your camera again to re-frame your shot (so the couple's heads are in the top third of the image), then press the shutter button all the way down.

Here's another example:



this photo is from the gardens at La Alhambra in Granada, Spain (truly an amazing place to visit - perhaps a future wanderlust post on La Alhambra is in order). I wanted the poppies in the foreground to be in focus, not the poppies further back. To do this, I used focal lock - I centered the foreground poppies, pressed the shutter button halfway to get the shot in focus, and then moved my camera to frame the poppies in the lower third of the image. Voila!

A simple technique that will improve your photos significantly. Happy focusing!