4. Don't stand too close to me
Pitfall explanation
There's nothing like crawling up right up to a baby's face to get one of those classic giant-head shots. And this one has no red-eye, despite those bright baby blues. However, with most photos of people and animals, unless you're trying to be artsy or experimental, we expect the faces to be in focus. Here, the face is less in focus than the baby's bum. That's probably because the photographer got a little too close, closer than the camera was able to focus.
Can this photo be saved?
No. As with problem 1, objects that are out of focus remain out of focus.
How can I avoid this problem?
Tip 1: Take a step back, if possible. Or crawl backward, in this case.
Tip 2: Switch to macro mode. Macro mode is designed to focus this closely -- it's not just for shooting bugs and flowers.
Tip 3: Turn off the automatic focus-point selection. If you have a relatively new camera, it may have technology in it that automatically decides where the focus should be; for example, Canon calls its version AiAF, Sony's is Multipoint AF, and so on. While these technologies seem to produce better overall sharpness in photos, they occasionally fail to choose the right subject, especially if the subject is off centre or smaller than other objects. I find the old prefocus-and-reframe technique -- lock focus on the face, then reframe the scene -- works as well or better in situations such as this one.
Which cameras handle these scenes best?
What it takes: The ability to focus within inches of the subject or special scene modes.
Suggested models:
Pitfall explanation
There's nothing like crawling up right up to a baby's face to get one of those classic giant-head shots. And this one has no red-eye, despite those bright baby blues. However, with most photos of people and animals, unless you're trying to be artsy or experimental, we expect the faces to be in focus. Here, the face is less in focus than the baby's bum. That's probably because the photographer got a little too close, closer than the camera was able to focus.
Can this photo be saved?
No. As with problem 1, objects that are out of focus remain out of focus.
How can I avoid this problem?
Tip 1: Take a step back, if possible. Or crawl backward, in this case.
Tip 2: Switch to macro mode. Macro mode is designed to focus this closely -- it's not just for shooting bugs and flowers.
Tip 3: Turn off the automatic focus-point selection. If you have a relatively new camera, it may have technology in it that automatically decides where the focus should be; for example, Canon calls its version AiAF, Sony's is Multipoint AF, and so on. While these technologies seem to produce better overall sharpness in photos, they occasionally fail to choose the right subject, especially if the subject is off centre or smaller than other objects. I find the old prefocus-and-reframe technique -- lock focus on the face, then reframe the scene -- works as well or better in situations such as this one.
Which cameras handle these scenes best?
What it takes: The ability to focus within inches of the subject or special scene modes.
Suggested models:
 Nikon Coolpix S4 Read review |
 Casio Exilim EX-Z750 Read review |
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Sergei Plishka
11/02/2006 01:21 PM
If you do notice a reflective surface in the background, simply take the shot at an angle to the surface so that flash reflects away from the camera instead of right back at it.
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