COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

Understand how some of the most misunderstood focus concepts can reduce the success of your images

FOCUSING MUST BE DONE BY EYE

AS BEGINNERS IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO ‘TRUST’ NONVISUAL FOCUSING TECHNIQUES, HOWEVER THE USE OF MATHEMATICAL CALCULATIONS FOR DISTANCE IS MORE ACCURATE IN POOR LIGHTING CONDITIONS. EXPERIENCE WILL PROVIDE THE CONFIDENCE TO IDENTIFY THE BEST F-STOP FOR YOUR EQUIPMENT.

FOCUS IS THE SAME FOR EVERY SHOT

WHILE THE TECHNIQUES DISCUSSED HERE CATER FOR MOST SITUATIONS, THEY MUST BE ADAPTED TO THE ENVIRONMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE THERE ARE CLOSE FOREGROUND AREAS A SMALLER APERTURE OR CLOSER FOCUSING DISTANCE MAY BE NECESSARY, SINCE PRIORITY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE AREAS MOST VISIBLE.

DOF MUST COVER ALL DISTANCES

FURTHER TO THE ABOVE SITUATION, DOF NEED

NOT COVER DISTANCES THAT AREN’T VISIBLE IN THE COMPOSITION. IF A LONGER FOCAL LENGTH IS USED, EXCLUDING FOREGROUND DETAILS, DON’T BE AFRAID TO FOCUS AT OR NEAR INFINITY TO QUICKLY CAPTURE DISTANT SUBJECTS. SPEED CAN BE PRIORITISED OVER DEPTH.

DOF IS EQUAL THROUGHOUT THE FRAME

THE AREA OVER WHICH DOF EXTENDS IS GREATER BEHIND THE SUBJECT THAN IN FRONT OF IT. THEREFORE, SHOULD YOU NOTICE A LACK OF FOCUS IN THE FOREGROUND, CONSIDER MOVING THE FOCUSING DISTANCE CLOSER BEFORE STOPPING DOWN THE APERTURE FURTHER, REFINING SHARPNESS WITHOUT STRENGTHENING DIFFRACTION.