Focusing on subject!

[RicJoe]

I took a few shots of my Daughter on a swing at the park, in all the pictures my focus always went to the bar and not her. is there a way to keep the focus on her swinging and not the bars of the swing?

 

[haynchinook334]

AF- Lock....

 

[RicJoe]

AF- Lock....

Googled what you wrote and found:

Auto exposure lock and auto focus lock


Thanks found a whole section to it in my manual, and makes sense!

 

[Vinny]

You might need to get a single focal spot for a moving target that has items around it. Auto focus doesn't know what you want to focus on. Not sure what camera you have but when you look into the viewfinder you might see dots with a square around it, sometimes multiple squares coming up when you press the shutter halfway - that's your autofocus kicking in.

 

[RicJoe]

You might need to get a single focal spot for a moving target that has items around it. Auto focus doesn't know what you want to focus on. Not sure what camera you have but when you look into the viewfinder you might see dots with a square around it, sometimes multiple squares coming up when you press the shutter halfway - that's your autofocus kicking in.

Sorry I have a Canon Rebel Xsi, I do have a "AF" button. When I push it and look in my viewer I see a diamond pattern and scrolling my wheel allows me to set the red dot on one section or multiple sections. I also notice on my lens I have a switch for auto focus and manual focus, should I use manual focus or keep using the auto focus that I am already set for?

 

[Vinny]

A moving subject is hard to focus on - LOL!! Getting good at manual focus is important since as you can see auto sometimes doesn't work and for creativity manual is the only way to go IMO. Todays lenses are a little more dificult to focus since the viewfinder doesn't have what film SLRS had (have?).

It does sound like you can select the focus point so you can use that selector wheel and see how that works but definately learn manual focusing as well.

 

[table1349]

Set your focus mode to AI-Servo. It tracks the motion full time. Use a single, center focus point only for focus. Track the moving subject always with the shutter release depressed halfway so the camera is continually focusing and do not trip the shutter release when something else like the swing support is in front of the single focus point that you are using.

 

[RicJoe]

Set your focus mode to AI-Servo. It tracks the motion full time. Use a single, center focus point only for focus. Track the moving subject always with the shutter release depressed halfway so the camera is continually focusing and do not trip the shutter release when something else like the swing support is in front of the single focus point that you are using.

Will try that next time, I just got back from trying agian but they were blurry as hell, but I have some shiny shots of a pole again in my recycle bin. Think I might be jumping ahead, I was supposed to be taking shots at different f stop points and noticing the shutter speed changes, got sidetracked :blushing:

Having a blast though :lmao:

 

[table1349]

What you are wanting to do is no different that when I am shooting sports. Just keep that one center focus point on you subject at all time. It may take a little practice, but once you get the hang of it your keeper rate will improve. One other thing I would suggest. Get your focus off of the shutter button and onto one of the buttons on the back of the body. You will have to check the manual to see what custom function will put it on what button. My bodies have dedicated focus buttons on them.