Detailed Guide: Setting Up Your Photo Camera's Approach According To the Photo You Want (With Inspirational Examples)

At this point in your photographic history, you have long realized that taking a picture is much more complicated than pressing a button. And even more complicated if what you want is more than having a photo; If you want to have a good photo, the thing really complicatesEur-lex.europa.eu eur-lex.europa.eu

Detailed Guide: Setting Up Your Photo Camera's Approach According To the Photo You Want (With Inspirational Examples)

Although the most normal thing to begin with is that we are hallucinating 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, not even through the light or the theme. Yes, photography is light, but also and above all it is focus.

The focus directs our gaze, tells us what is important in the image, and even in what order and what we should look online. It tells us if that image is transgressive, if it complies with the rules, or if that image is worth nothing more than for the bin because it is a blunder. And oddly enough, the errors associated with the approach are the most common and insurmountable as far as photographic errors refers.

What is focus?

According to the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy), focus is:

"To make the image of an object produced in the focus of a lens be collected clearly on a plane or object determined". Real Academia Espanola ©

We say that Mario is focused when the image it projects, passes through the lens and joins precisely on the plane of the sensor; as in the first image. On the contrary, we say that an image is out of focus when the image is formed out of the plane of the sensor, either before or after, as you can see very clearly in the second image.

What types of approach are there?

In general, we have two types of approach, each with its particularities and its applications in concrete situations. To change from one to another, you must do it through your lens, moving the M or MF (Manual) button to A or AF (Automatic) or vice versa.

Focus-Objective

Manual Focus

The manual approach is one in which you must focus manually by turning the focus wheel of your target.

Auto Focus

It is the one in which your camera focuses automatically. The 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 basically in the movement or not of the subject or of what we are going to portray:

AF-S or One Shot: When photographing subjects or objects static, this approach is the most appropriate since it is more accurate than the other machines. Of course, it is also slower, so it is recommended to use it only in situations where we predict that what we are photographing is not going to move.

AF-C or AI Servo: Used for shooting moving subjects. This system will focus on what moves to the target and will track whenever the shutter button is pressed halfway. Once we decide to take the photograph, just press the shutter all the way down.

AF-A or AI Focus: When it is anticipated that a static situation can become a moving, using this mode is best, as it is able to move from a static system to follow the moving subject automatically.

Focus Area: What is it and how is it used?

The focus area is the area of the image where you want to place the focus. Generally, these are the options that most SLR cameras have regardless of the make and model:

Single point

It is the most accurate, because it tells the camera exactly the point where you should direct your focus, limiting the focus area to a minimum, and therefore leaving no room for maneuver to the camera. This system is the most accurate, although it is not valid for all situations. It is recommended for stationary subjects.

Dynamic

In this type of approach we select, as in the single point, a point of focus. From this, the camera will select an area around it that you can zoom in and out depending on the amount of area in which you predict the action can take place. This system is recommended for moving subjects or static scenes which may be expected movement.

Automatic

In this case, it is the camera that decides what to focus based on certain preset parameters, such as the focus of what is closest to the target (distance), whichever is greater, or what appears to a person by tone (contrast). It is not very precise and not always your parameters and yours coincide, so it has enough margin of error in situations where the center of interest is not clear or does not match the parameters of size, distance or contrast.

Shot Priority

Even if you are a fan of the approach, there will be situations in which you should give up if you want to get the picture. Just as if you are a fan of speed, you must surrender to the importance of focus on some images. This you must decide a priori through the priority of the shot:

Focus Priority

As the name indicates, the camera understands that until the subject or object are not perfectly focused; the image should not be taken. That is, until what you have indicated that should be focused is not, and although you tighten the shutter, it will not work.

Shutter Priority

When you have a scene where priority is more the scene in itself than the perfection of the focus, you must use this option. Imagine a football game ... If you prioritize the approach you could not take almost any image. Instead, you can shoot whenever you want regardless of the "perfection" of the focus.

And once we have a general idea of ​​what configurable with respect to the approach, let's see how and in what situations we can apply everything we have seen so far.

Manual focus mode

Macro

In macro photography approach is extremely accurate, so we give absolute priority to the search for the perfect focus in the right place priority.

Focus Mode: Manual

Focus area: Single Point

Take priority: Focus

The importance of a correct approach in macro photography

Product: Static elements in a controlled environment

Whenever we control most variables, as is often the case in study sessions, it is best not to risk the focus and try to control it in the most manual and accurate way possible. This will reduce the margin of error of "letting our camera decide". Other examples might include in this category may be, for example, food, still life’s, flowers ... Everything static in a "controlled" environment.

 Focus Mode: Manual or automatic accurate (AF-S or One Shot)

Focus area: Single Point

Take priority: Focus

Landscapes

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 precision.

Focus area: Single Point.

Take priority: Focus.

We choose manually because we have time to do, and that is the way to make sure we focus exactly where we want. For the camera it is easy to "get lost" in landscapes where there are few elements that stand out. We chose a focus area single point, because it is also what ensures greater accuracy in static objects. And finally, because the priority is to focus and sharpness, we cannot let our camera takes the picture if not perfectly clear that it is in focus.

Pictures

It will depend on whether these are static or foreboding that the subject can move, but also the pursuit of focus prevails. Depending on whether you are moving or not, you must choose between a manual focus mode and an auto focus mode.

Static

Focus Mode: Manual or Automatic (AF-S / One Shot)

Focus area: Single Point

Take priority: Focus

Movement (light)

Focus Mode: Auto AF-C / AI Servo

Focus area: Single Point

Take priority: Focus

In both cases we prioritize the approach and start from the basis that the subject will not move or at least do little. So the two options are practically the same, although one foresees some movement (second case) and in the first case, the portrait must be completely static-posed.

Note: Remember the importance of a good focus on the eyes in portrait photography.

SONY DSC

In static portraits it is best to work in manual mode for greater focus accuracy

Night

Night does not always mean very little light, but it is not uncommon Eur-lex.europa.eu eur-lex.europa.euin these situations it is common that the camera cannot find focus in automatic mode, so a simple way to address the problem is to move us to manual focus.

Focus Mode: Manual

Focus Area: Depends on the type of photography

Take priority: Depends on the type of photography

Auto Focus Mode

In general, everything that involves a movement, will "force" us to use a mode of automatic focus, but as always, it is a matter of taste and practice, and find out how we feel more comfortable or at ease. However, in general, we can find this type of situations in motion.

Sports

This situation is completely contrary to, for example, the one that we can find when photographing landscapes or architecture. Here are or our subjects are in constant movement and getting a "perfect" focus is, at least, complicated.

Focus Mode: Auto AF-C / AI Servo

Focus Area: Dynamics

Take priority: Shot

Peacekeeping - MINUSTAH

Street Photography

You do not usually have too much time to compose your images; rather you try to improvise at the forest jump, so it is difficult to consider a manual focus mode in this case. Here we usually care more about the overall scene than a perfect focus, so a focus priority does not make sense, as it would make us lose most of the interesting images we could see.

Focus Mode: Auto AF-C / AI Servo

Focus Area: Dynamics (You can expand depending on the area you want to cover yourself)

Take priority: Shot

Concerts

Of course it will depend on what kind of concert it is. If you have proximity or not with the stage, if the musicians move or do not, and so on. The most common case, however, is that you see something out of the way and that your musicians move around the stage, so this is the scenario with which we will stay for this example.

Focus Mode: Auto AF-A / AI Focus: The subject may be static, but is likely to start moving at any time.

Focus Area: Dynamics (You can expand depending on the area you want to cover yourself)

Take priority: Shot

In this case we will prioritize the shot before the focus

These are just a few examples to see "the logic" between choosing some functions or others. As you see, it all depends on the degree of control you have on the scene. The more "controls" the environment, the more advisable a manual focus mode is to ensure a sharp focus. However, the more you "escape" the situation to your control (objects, people or animals in motion), the more necessary you are to help you in some of the autofocus modes provided by most SLR cameras. There is no single recipe for each situation, because it will depend on your preferences and the specific situation that presents itself to the objective. However, remember that you have multiple functions that are adaptable to each of these situations, and that there is one that is better than the otherEur-lex.europa.eu eur-lex.europa.eu

That is all for today, if you liked it, it has been useful and you think someone else may be interested or interested in getting juice, please share it in your favorite social network: Google +, Face book or Twitter. And as always, thanks for dedicating your timeEur-lex.europa.eu eur-lex.europa.eu

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