Video University: Video University Forums: Digital Photography for Videographers: Focus, harder than I thought

VideoUniversity.com
Home	Free Library	Store
Free Catalog Please support VU by making your B&H purchases and links through this B&H ad. Doesn't cost a penny more.

See The New VU Postcard Catalog

To post in the forums see the Forum Guidelines.

Join or Renew Today.
New Benefits for all VU Members

Forum Guidelines and FAQ
Main Index	Search Posts
Who's Online	Log In

Home: Video University Forums: Digital Photography for Videographers:
Focus, harder than I thought

szerangue
Veteran

Jun 5, 2007, 9:13 PM

Post #1 of 13 (885 views)
Shortcut

Focus, harder than I thought	Can't Post

In reviewing the rest of the photos in my first wedding shoot, a larger number than care to admit to were slightly out of focus. For much of the day I used the single point auto focus setting. I could understand if some of the action shots like dancing were out of focus, but some of the posed shots were out of focus as well.

How about some tips on focus that I can practice. Thanks
Miracle Pictures
"If it's a good picture, it's a Miracle!"

"Life Productions, coming out of the dark, into the light"
4EVER GROUP AFFILIATE

Shadow
Veteran

Jun 5, 2007, 9:14 PM

Post #2 of 13 (882 views)
Shortcut

Re: [szerangue] Focus, harder than I thought [In reply to]	Can't Post

I've noticed with one of my sigma lenses that I have that problem. Closer shots are ok but further away are always slightly out of focus.
Just curious, do you think it could be your lens?

__________________________
My boring blog: www.pawspun.blogspot.com

Brackish
Veteran

Jun 5, 2007, 9:41 PM

Post #3 of 13 (879 views)
Shortcut

Re: [szerangue] Focus, harder than I thought [In reply to]	Can't Post

If you are using the multiple focus points like you say you
started out with, the focus could catch anywhere.

When using the center focus point only, are you paying close
attention to where the point is located on the subject?
Are you making sure the point is on a contrasty area?

Also, if you are doing "focus and re-compose" with
auto focus, you can't let up on the half-press of the
shutter or it will re-focus - this is if you are in
one-shot mode.

Are you shooting in servo instead of one-shot?
AF can't auto focus on a solid color (such as white or black)
and will hunt all over - you need to get the focus
point on a contrasty area.

----------------------------------------------
"We'll always show up at the wedding with a gift bag for the bride. Inside we have these incredible fuzzy slippers in the teal of our branding."

szerangue
Veteran

Jun 5, 2007, 9:58 PM

Post #4 of 13 (878 views)
Shortcut

Re: [Brackish] Focus, harder than I thought [In reply to]	Can't Post

Those are good points... I don't think it was my lens... I am using the Canon 17-55 IS lens. I probably am not concentrating as much as I should on where the focus point is located or I am too lax in my effort. Most likely I am concentrating on framing and probably forget to regard the focus point before I click. Most of the shots were in single shot mode. Although during the reception I did use servo mode for the bouquet and garter toss and found focus to be an issue on those shots.

"contrasty area"... give me an example.
Miracle Pictures
"If it's a good picture, it's a Miracle!"

"Life Productions, coming out of the dark, into the light"
4EVER GROUP AFFILIATE

DGates
Veteran

Jun 5, 2007, 11:34 PM

Post #5 of 13 (871 views)
Shortcut

Re: [szerangue] Focus, harder than I thought [In reply to]	Can't Post

How many pictures are you taking per shot/pose? The pro photogs I've worked with may take 3 dozen+ pics just of the cake cutting. From my standpoint, it's a bit annoying, with the flashes and shutter sound, but I'd probably do the same thing if I were them. Out of all those pics, you're bound to have a couple of gems that are perfectly in focus and the couple looks great.

DarrenS
Veteran

Jun 5, 2007, 11:40 PM

Post #6 of 13 (865 views)
Shortcut

Re: [DGates] Focus, harder than I thought [In reply to]	Can't Post

The pro photogs I've worked with may take 3 dozen+ pics just of the cake cutting

Are you exaggerating at all? That is amazing to me. Last cutting I made two exposures, one self-posed and one I posed. Usually just one or two, maybe three. 30 plus exposures?! Amazing. That's turning a 'wedding' into a 'photoshoot'. Que the Right Said Fred music Laugh

DGates
Veteran

Jun 6, 2007, 12:06 AM

Post #7 of 13 (854 views)
Shortcut

Re: [DarrenS] Focus, harder than I thought [In reply to]	Can't Post

Not exaggerating. Of course, the cake cutting is really 4-5 poses anyway (in front of cake, slice, feeding, champagne), so that's closer to about 6-7 shots of each of those set-ups. The one photog I noticed this from the most is Jessica Claire. Standing next to her, you feel like you're at a sporting event. I can't even imagine how many total shots she ends up with at the end of the day.

I'd assume this approach works well for group formals. If you can burst off 9 pics in 3 seconds, you're bound to have at least one nice pic with no blinking.

DarrenS
Veteran

Jun 6, 2007, 12:20 AM

Post #8 of 13 (849 views)
Shortcut

Re: [DGates] Focus, harder than I thought [In reply to]	Can't Post

Wow. Guess I'm an old fart. I really hate the idea of turning someone's wedding into a photographer's spectacle. I shoot the 'cake cutting' but not the cake approach, cake landing, cake eating, cake drinking, cake after digestion Laugh

. The three hundred guest cameras can shoot that stuff. Claire is fairly high end from what I understand so I'm even more surprsied at the number of exposures. Very interesting tidbit there!

RustyB
Veteran

Jun 6, 2007, 12:44 AM

Post #9 of 13 (841 views)
Shortcut

Re: [DarrenS] Focus, harder than I thought [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

The pro photogs I've worked with may take 3 dozen+ pics just of the cake cutting

That many pics is typical around here as well. Even better, is when there are 2-3 photogs shooting the cake cutting from different angles, snapping those 3 dozen pics EACH. Some wedding receptions, that's how the entire night is, including all the dancing.

I was so impressed the other night, when the photog shot alone, and told me she would shoot ONLY about 1200 pictures...and she never stopped taking pictures the entire night. Laugh

A few weeks ago, a lone photog told me he averages 6000. Shocked

I think I'd rather edit video, thank you very much.

faith poison films
it's better than nothing

Brackish
Veteran

Jun 6, 2007, 12:52 AM

Post #10 of 13 (837 views)
Shortcut

Re: [RustyB] Focus, harder than I thought [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

A few weeks ago, a lone photog told me he averages 6000.

I worked with a digital guy not long ago - he works
alone - who told me he usually doesn't shoot over
400 shots the whole day. He was complaining to
me that one of the Moms wanted him to do
table shots of every table at the reception and
he was worried he didn't have enough cards to
shoot the record (for him) 600 shots he was looking
at ending up with.

----------------------------------------------
"We'll always show up at the wedding with a gift bag for the bride. Inside we have these incredible fuzzy slippers in the teal of our branding."

DarrenS
Veteran

Jun 6, 2007, 5:38 AM

Post #11 of 13 (822 views)
Shortcut

Re: [RustyB] Focus, harder than I thought [In reply to]	Can't Post

It's no wonder then, why some videogs get so ticked-off at photographers in some places. If I was getting married and my photog tried taking 30+ pictures of our cake cutting I'd be ticked-off as well.

I like to think of professional photography like golf...the more swings you gotta take the worse you rate. Three dozen pictures of a cake cutting is the work of an incompetent shooter in my opinion.

Brackish
Veteran

Jun 6, 2007, 3:53 PM

Post #12 of 13 (805 views)
Shortcut

Post deleted by Brackish [In reply to]

RustyB
Veteran

Jun 6, 2007, 4:03 PM

Post #13 of 13 (800 views)
Shortcut

Re: [Brackish] Focus, harder than I thought [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

... Jess is so XTREME. ....

faith poison films
it's better than nothing