Selective Focus

[JeffieLove]

Question about it...

I am posting this out here because it is part of the assignment this week in Dominantly's school

I figured out how to turn it on with my camera... I thought I had figured out exactly how to use it and make it work... but I think not...

I had taken pictures of my kids' and my mom's drinks at dinner tonight with them each set in a diagonal one behind the other... I changed the auto focus points on my camera but it never seemed like the focus point changed... So, here are the pics I just took... I didn't realize I had deleted the ones from dinner...

They go in order (from top to bottom) with the selective focus starting at the top of the frame, then left, then bottom, then right, then center of the frame... The only one that I can really see a "difference" in is the one where the focus is at the bottom of the frame because it focused on the salt shaker instead of the deodorant bottle in the back...

Oh, and I know these are horrible compositino and under exposed... I wasn't using my tripod and settled for under exposed so I could use a faster shutter speed that would lower the risk of motion blur

Is it possible that I am doing something wrong? I read the manual last night to figure out how to do this in the first place... So it isn't anything as far as that goes... I even practiced for a little while last night but (retarded me) didn't pay a whole lot of attention as far as where it was focusing... Now I just feel dumb lol

 

[Dominantly]

BAH.
1. Bad subjects
2. Bad light
3. Bad Background
4. I has no idea what is going on.

Did you see Hooker's Gummy Bears?

 

[JeffieLove]

READ THE WHOLE POST!!!

lol - I wasn't looking for C&C lol

and no - I haven't looked at anyone else's assignments yet...

 

[Dominantly]

Well, if you aren't looking for C&C why did you post them? Just to see if they looked different on the forum?
You asked if you were doing something wrong, I pointed out some things.

 

[JeffieLove]

I meant with the selective focus... It doesn't seem to change except for in the one where the focus was set at the bottom of the frame...

 

[Josh66]

I haven't read the assignment (link?), but I have a feeling it has more to do with controlling the DOF than selecting AF points... ?

 

[JeffieLove]

I haven't read the assignment (link?), but I have a feeling it has more to do with controlling the DOF than selecting AF points... ?

-The first will be a selective focus/ Isolation shot. You could pick quite a few objects, have them in some type of linear formation, evenly-ish spaced, and then pick an object somewhere in the middle to focus on and isolate. Use the appropriate Aperture to ensure you get the object in focus, but keep it isolated at the same time.

copy/pasted from the assignment

 

[Dominantly]

I haven't read the assignment (link?), but I have a feeling it has more to do with controlling the DOF than selecting AF points... ?

Yup.
You see people posting photos on here of object, and missing optimum focus mark, hitting the tip of the nose instead of the eyes, etc. So this was just to exercise the ability to nail focus where you want the focus, then to be able to manipulate how much behind and in front of that focal point is actually sharp.
That was the thought behind it..

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...nant-abc-s-d111-assignment-3-depth-field.html

 

[JeffieLove]

oh... see, you had me all confused lol

Well, it's still good to know if I am using the selective focus thing right lol Maybe I will try it again with some objects placed in the shape of the auto focus spots on the camera...

After I work on this assignment

I am going to try to make a light box now that I have the supplies to do so (all except for the poster board... but I think I can make up for that the only poster board I have is the foam core...

 

[Josh66]

The Photo Forum - Photography Discussion Forum - Assignment #3- Depth Of Field

Ah! That's why I didn't see it - never thought to look in the groups section.

You may have seen this before, but it's worth re-posting. May be of interest to your group, and I think it's at least a little related to this assignment.

Why Focus-Recompose Sucks

 

[NateWagner]

When I think of this shot, I think of an image of a newspaper or a book, where only the middle portion is in focus, and the front and back are not.

Anyway, a couple of thoughts.
1. Selective focus is not using the different autofocus points, it is choosing which part of the image is in focus.
2. The reason that these images don't show the order as you posted is probably partially due to the fact that the images are at different places in the frame. Thus, where your middle focus point was in one image, is not necessarily the same spot in the next image.
3. the reason the middle and the back item (microwave and something else) are always in focus is probably because of the DOF you have, and the distance that you are from the subjects. You seem to be quite close to the white (sugar bowl?) which is why it is occassionally out of focus.

 

[NateWagner]

Josh: as I read it, I don't believe that she was focus-recomposing. If she had been her goal might have worked.

 

[Hooker771]

I think you are thinking about this all wrong. It doesn't matter where you are focused or which point you are using to focus with. If you are using a high aperture like f16 everythings going to appear in focus and there won't be any real difference just because your using a different focal point. Try to use you smallest number aperture in manual mode and lock your focus in to the different bottles etc and see if there's a difference

 

[Josh66]

Josh: as I read it, I don't believe that she was focus-recomposing. If she had been her goal might have worked.

Yeah - I just thought it fit with what Dominantly said the intent of the lesson was. Missed focus (tip of nose instead of eyes) could easily happen due to focus-recompose.

Wasn't really in response to these pictures, but the lesson in general.

 

[Dominantly]

The Photo Forum - Photography Discussion Forum - Assignment #3- Depth Of Field

Ah! That's why I didn't see it - never thought to look in the groups section.

You may have seen this before, but it's worth re-posting. May be of interest to your group, and I think it's at least a little related to this assignment.

Why Focus-Recompose Sucks

I should bring that up there. It is very much related to the assignment.
I think quite a few people use that method, especially when coupled with a thin focal plane, it can cause soft shots (or missed focus).