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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> HELP!!! need focusing tips
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 09/17/2004 11:17:03 PM · #1
ok so if your photographing a subject that is moving in two directions at once and never in the same spot twice...how the devil do i get the focus right?
 09/17/2004 11:21:24 PM · #2
whats the subject?

James
 09/17/2004 11:24:36 PM · #3
in general..a skateboarder doing tricks....or a bicycle doing jumps....extreme sports in other words
 09/17/2004 11:24:54 PM · #4
Manual focus.
 09/17/2004 11:25:11 PM · #5
You pose a very good question. It all depends on the mean distance between them and you. You can not focus on the two, so you go with one. If they are moving across, then get one, using the smallest aperture that you can. If they move one away and one into the camera than you find a propitious moment where the two are the closest to each other. If this is not possible, then using the smallest aperture focus on the closest. The question is compounded further by your choice of lens and available light.
 09/17/2004 11:25:44 PM · #6
the problem is right now I have to shoot at a 1.4 or 2.8 to get the shutter speed close so focus really has to be right on
 09/17/2004 11:40:23 PM · #7
With skate boards and bikers I pre-focus where they expect to do their thing. Shooring at such low apertures leave you no choice but to focus on just one.
 09/17/2004 11:43:06 PM · #8
yeah, prefocus.
 09/17/2004 11:45:11 PM · #9
on top of such a shallow DOF, I am having to use an ISO of 1600-3200...is there any way to clean up the noise...i am doing an assignment for photojournalism class and not liking the results so far!
 09/17/2004 11:46:30 PM · #10
Can you do shooting in daylight? it should help you speed up the shutter and drop the iso.
 09/17/2004 11:49:05 PM · #11
The 1600 is kinda grainey...I guess ya'd say...440 and down I have had luck with, but above that I didnt like em

09/17/2004 11:49:45 PM · #12
i wish i could...but it is in an enclosed arena...i was very lucky to be able to shoot it and they have given me two opportunities...one today at practice session and one tommarrow night. the events manager pulled some major strings to let me in and after all the hassles with security..i would love to get some great shots.
 09/18/2004 02:26:29 AM · #13
if you can't get rid of the grain make it a feature of the photos
make real urban high contrast black and whites photo and try and get the same feel in all the shots so people think that is how you wanted them to come out :)
 09/18/2004 04:18:36 AM · #14
Originally posted by bbusybee2000:
ok so if your photographing a subject that is moving in two directions at once and never in the same spot twice...how the devil do i get the focus right?


You could try using continuous focus. I'm sure the 10D has a continuous focus mode. My D70 does, called AF-C, and as long as the shutter release is held down halfway, the camera stays focused on whatever's in the selected focus area, constantly changing if the subject's distance is changing.
 09/18/2004 06:19:11 AM · #15
Originally posted by bbusybee2000:
ok so if your photographing a subject that is moving in two directions at once and never in the same spot twice...how the devil do i get the focus right?

1) Increasing f-stop

Increases the likelihood your image will be in focus. Although f/1.8 and f/2.8, etc, are convenient for shutters, it's not always easy to get a focused shot, because the DOF is fairly shallow - the skater could have moved out of your DOF!

2) DO use high ISO, 800-1600

High ISO is just needed unless you're in great lighting. Even 10x8's will look fine at ISO 800, and I've sold quite a few at ISO 1600 with no complaints. I think noise looks worse when you're looking for it.. Also don't forget Canon CMOS cameras (DSLRs) handle noise quite well at high ISO.

3) Shoot a little wider/further away

Shooting wider than you would normally or from further away makes it easier to track action, and also increases DOF. Both of these should help you get sharper shots. You should be able to crop a reasonable amount out of your image to get a nice tight shot.

4) Try Ai-Servo

Ai-Servo is great IF you can track the object. If your reactions are fast enough to keep your subject in the AF square, then Ai-Servo should work great. If you're not getting good results it may be because you're not tracking the subject well enough and the AF can't keep up, or gets confused. See 5. :)

5) Practice practice practice :)

And show us the results!

Message edited by author 2004-09-18 06:21:24.
 09/18/2004 06:57:15 AM · #16
Try this: Follow the subject and press the shutter down completely. As soon as the subject is in focus, it'll take the picture.
09/18/2004 07:03:04 AM · #17
DP challenge also has some tutorials you can have a look at...
//www.dpchallenge.com/tutorial.php?TUTORIAL_ID=1
that deals with depth of focus but there are many more you can take a look at :)
good luck with it all
 09/18/2004 02:04:08 PM · #18
Originally posted by Jacko:
Try this: Follow the subject and press the shutter down completely. As soon as the subject is in focus, it'll take the picture.


Heh heh, I forgot that my camera can do that! Though most people I give my camera to to take a picture seem to be all over the 'squeeze quickly' method. You just get too used to half-press, re-examine the scene, fire. :)
 09/18/2004 07:19:56 PM · #19
Originally posted by Jacko:
Try this: Follow the subject and press the shutter down completely. As soon as the subject is in focus, it'll take the picture.


GREAT TIP! Thank you Jacko...That works awesome...WOW so simple and it works great.
 09/18/2004 09:07:19 PM · #20
Originally posted by Jacko:
Try this: Follow the subject and press the shutter down completely. As soon as the subject is in focus, it'll take the picture.


Absolutely. This method combined with focus tracking, if your camera has this feature, is the way to go for many fast action shots. However, there are some cameras that will take the photo without properly focussing first when you press the button down in one motion. With my camera I have gotten used to hearing the focus beep first and then I immediately press the button the rest of the way down. There isn't much sense taking the picture yet if the camera is still searching for focus. It is a matter of making sure your camera is in the best focussing mode for a particular situation and then practice, practice, practice so you can do it right without hardly thinking.

My camera has the laser focussing aid and in many situations in the past I have turned that feature off because I didn't want it to interfere with the event that I was shooting. Last night I was shooting a friend's band performing at a small venue and I decided to use the laser focussing and it worked great versus the contrast detection only method. The lights were changing fast and the band members were moving around fast too most of the time but I was still getting most of the shots I wanted. what really helped was the fact that I could see the laser grid and could tell exactly what the camera was focus on and then when I heard the camera beep I fired off the shot. I was surprised that not a single person except for my friend noticed the laser grid appearing all over the place.

My point to this is that focussing is way too important of a factor to not know how to do it properly. With most cameras there are ways to get the right focus in almost any situation. You just have to take the time to learn it.

T

Message edited by author 2004-09-18 21:09:14.
 09/18/2004 09:31:25 PM · #21
I photograph my sons doing skateboarding tricks all the time and I usually prefocus on the area where I expect the action to be and using sports mode helps to freeze the moment.
 09/18/2004 09:45:49 PM · #22
I agree with most people here that it is often better to wait and let the action come to you into a spot that you have prefoccused on. This way you can keep the camera more still which is the other factor that helps sharpness. Most cameras use some kind of contrast detection to focus so you can keep this in mind when you are using auto focus by aiming the camera's focussing displays on the contrasty areas of your subject or prefocus spot.

It's also important to be able to distinguish between poor focus and camera movement to determine which area to improve on. It takes a lot of practice to shoot a moving object while at the same time keeping the camera still. The very act of sqeezing the shutter can ruin the shot if it is not done gently enough.

T
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