Creative Focus: camera tips for static to spontaneous subjects

jmeyer | Photography Tips | Portraits | 09/10/2012 12:14pm

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Get the eyes sharp

The eyes are the crucial element of any portrait, and unless you’re breaking the rules for creative effect, it’s essential to get them sharp. The eyes are the main focal point of your composition and the way your viewer will make a connection with the subject. Follow these simple steps below and you will be in good position to get your subject’s eyes in focus every time.

Use the Mode dial to select Av mode
To throw your backdrop out of focus, or isolate specific parts of a face, such as the eyes, create a shallow depth of field. Do this by selecting Aperture Priority mode and picking your lens’s widest aperture – f/2.8, for example.

Get choosy about which AF point you use
Modern SLRs have loads of Autofocus (AF) points, so make use of them. After composing an image, use the viewfinder and scroll through the available AF points. Choose a single point that covers the subject’s closest eye.

Focus your shot, then fire away…
Lightly press the shutter release and the lens focuses. The area marked by your AF point should be sharply focused, so take the shot. Focus is critical with shallow depth of field, so take lots of shots to get what you need.

PAGE 1: Ways to focus your camera
PAGE 2: Set up for spot-on focus
PAGE 3: Get the eyes sharp
PAGE 4: Focus on off-centre subjects
PAGE 5: Tips for controlling focus