{"id":92759,"date":"2016-08-26T15:02:49","date_gmt":"2016-08-26T14:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/amateurphotographer.co.uk\/?p=92759"},"modified":"2016-08-30T11:57:36","modified_gmt":"2016-08-30T10:57:36","slug":"autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/","title":{"rendered":"Autofocus excellence: Focus like a pro"},"content":{"rendered":"

Keeping photographs sharp, especially in tough or rushed conditions, can be difficult, even with modern DSLRs. Some of the UK\u2019s top professionals speak to Geoff Harris about how they stay focused on the job.<\/p>\n

\n

Sport and news photography<\/h2>\n

Leon Neal<\/h3>\n

Leon is an award-winning staff photographer with AFP news agency, London. He covers news and sport, which is quite unusual for press photographers these days, so he\u2019s at the sharp end of camera focusing. If his images are soft, they are not accepted by AFP\u2019s picture editors or clients. Visit www.leonneal.com\/albums<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Leon’s tips for sports and news focusing<\/h3>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\"Taking\t\t\t

Taking control of AF is essential for effective sports photography \u2013 don\u2019t leave it to the camera to get it right<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Soft, slightly blurry shots are the bane of the serious photographer\u2019s life, and even a slight lack of sharpness in critical areas can be enough to spoil a pixel peeper\u2019s day (the 100% view in Lightroom is not for the faint-hearted).<\/p>\n

Even if you think you are setting autofocus points correctly, things can still go wrong just as you press the shutter button. What\u2019s more, poor focusing technique will be ruthlessly revealed by the latest high-resolution DSLRs such as the Nikon D810 and Canon EOS 5DS. It\u2019s a problem that pro photographers have to wrestle with constantly, because even slightly \u2018off\u2019 focusing can make the difference between getting a big commission or winning a prestigious prize, and ending up as an also-ran.<\/p>\n

Over the next few pages, some top pros share their tips for more effective autofocus, and we also check out a new service offering DSLR lens and body calibration at a competitive price.<\/p>\n

Top tip<\/h3>\n

\u2018Don\u2019t be afraid to move your focus point,\u2019 is Leon\u2019s biggest tip. \u2018Framing your images around the centre point means 40% of the frame has unintentional dead space.\u2019<\/p>\n

Leon doesn\u2019t get his lenses calibrated, but notes that the new Nikon D5 has the option to calibrate lenses to the body in seconds. \u2018It will become part of my routine,\u2019 he says. Leon doesn\u2019t use manual focus at all, but will pre-focus when shooting events that happen very quickly.<\/p>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"You\t\t\t

You need to focus carefully with static subjects; this may involve changing to single-point AF<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

How Leon sets up AF on his Nikon DSLR<\/h3>\n

1.\u2018I always shoot in continuous AF mode, whatever the situation. I find that on Nikon cameras the focus is intelligent enough to recognise when a subject is moving.\u2019<\/p>\n

2. \u2018I tend to vary the focus-point range between 9 and 21, depending on how erratic the movement of the subject is. In tennis, for example, it\u2019s about following very fast, unpredictable movements.\u2019<\/p>\n

3. \u2018I have used back-button focusing for a decade, as it makes so much more sense to me. Being able to lock my exposure with the shutter release while focusing with the back button seems the logical way to work.\u2019<\/p>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"Continuous\t\t\t

Continuous focus is also vital to keep track of fast-moving subjects, like tennis players<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

\n

Travel photography<\/h2>\n

Steve Davey<\/h3>\n

Steve is a travel photographer and author whose work has appeared in Wanderlust, Lonely Planet and the national press. He regularly runs workshops all over the world. Visit www.stevedavey.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"When\t\t\t

When it comes to portraits, always focus carefully on the subject\u2019s eyes<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Top tip<\/h3>\n

Steve emphasises the importance of taking control of AF yourself. Most of the time he\u2019s on continuous focus mode. \u2018Just be aware of the slight delay as the camera focuses,\u2019 he says. Steve eschews back-button focusing and has fine-tuned AF in a few telephoto lenses.<\/p>\n

\u2018The pro Nikon cameras will remember the lens and adjust. A good way to do this is to tether the camera to a laptop, stick it on a tripod and shoot a sloping roof. You\u2019ll see whether the image is soft in front of, or behind the point you are focusing on.\u2019<\/p>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"For\t\t\t

For moving subjects, Steve uses auto area AF mode with continuous focus; the camera should track the subject<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

How Steve sets up AF on his Nikon DSLR<\/h3>\n

1.\u2018I like standardisation as much as possible. It\u2019s pointless for your camera to have the fastest, most accurate customised modes if you need to keep diving into menus to select optimum settings and risk missing a shot.\u2019<\/p>\n

2. \u2018I have my SLR set to continuous AF and a single-point focus so I can pinpoint the subject without needing to focus and recompose. If I want to lock the focus, I simply use the lock button.\u2019<\/p>\n

3. \u2018A refinement to this is Nikon\u2019s 3D focus, which works in exactly the same way as the single-point focus (in that you can move it around in the same way), but it will track any movement in the frame once it has locked on.\u2019<\/p>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"If\t\t\t

If your subject is outside the range of AF points, consider using the focus and recompose method<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

\n

Nature and wildlife photography<\/h2>\n

Ben Hall<\/h3>\n

Ben is one of the UK\u2019s best-known wildlife and nature photographers. His work has appeared everywhere from BBC Wildlife magazine to The Countryman. He sells images via Getty and RSPB, and runs courses. Visit www.benhallphoto.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"This\t\t\t

This is a brilliant example of how continuous AF can deliver great results with moving wildlife \u2013 the clean background helps too<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

How Ben sets up his Canon DSLR<\/h3>\n

1.\u2018For static subjects, I prefer to use one-shot mode on my Canon EOS-1D X. I move the focusing point around the frame, as this enables me to compose the image and then fire the shutter without having to lock the focus and recompose every time.\u2019<\/p>\n

2. \u2018When shooting moving subjects, I switch to predictive focus mode and use either the AF point expansion to create a larger focusing area, or the auto selection using all 61 AF points. For a moving subject against a relatively clean background, I opt for the auto-selection mode. I can compose the image as I pan, and the DSLR automatically tracks the subject.\u2019<\/p>\n

3. \u2018The Canon EOS-1D X features six different autofocus presets (Case 1 to Case 6). Each one changes the predictive focus characteristics and sensitivity variables. For larger, slower-moving subjects, I prefer Case 2. For fast-moving subjects such as small birds, I prefer Case 5. This increases the sensitivity slightly and is more effective for fast panning.\u2019<\/p>\n

Top tip<\/h3>\n

\u2018When it comes to setting up AF, you need to know your camera inside out,\u2019 says Ben. \u2018Stay familiar with the controls, even if you don\u2019t take any pictures doing so.\u2019<\/p>\n

When AF struggles, such as when shooting in the middle of a blizzard, Ben switches to manual and pre-focuses the camera in front of the subject, firing a burst of frames as the subject passes the plane of focus. \u2018Selecting a smaller aperture to increase depth of field helps to achieve a greater hit rate,\u2019 he adds.<\/p>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"In\t\t\t

In tough weather conditions such as snow, you often need to eschew AF altogether and switch to manual focus<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

\n

Street photography<\/h2>\n

Matt Hart<\/h2>\n

Matt is a well-known street photography specialist and is a Fujifilm X-Photographer. Visit lighttraveler.smugmug.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"The\t\t\t

The challenge in street work is to stay discreet<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

How Matt sets up his Fujifilm mirrorless<\/h3>\n

1.\u2018My X-series cameras have three focusing options: single shot, continuous and manual. I use single for static and continuous for moving.\u2019<\/p>\n

2. \u2018I then select the area of focus within the frame, depending on the subject.\u2019<\/p>\n

3. \u2018I can change the size of this focus area, from pinpoint to a much larger area.\u2019<\/p>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"When\t\t\t

When using the flip-out screen to compose, careful AF-point positioning is also vital<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Top tip<\/h3>\n

For street work, Matt believes you should get used to shooting via the rear screen rather than the viewfinder. His is the \u2018zone focusing\u2019 technique \u2013 prefocusing the camera a certain distance and shooting subjects in that range. He highlights a new feature in the Fujifilm X-T1 and X-T10 called \u2018tracking focus\u2019. \u2018You can lock onto a subject and the camera will \u201cfollow\u201d it for you to ensure sharp focus,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"You\t\t\t

You can prefocus on an area and wait for passers-by<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

\n

News and documentary photography<\/h2>\n

Matt Cardy<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll probably know Matt\u2019s images even if you don\u2019t recognise the name \u2013 he\u2019s a top Getty press shooter who took \u2018the single most amazing photo of the supermoon\u2019 last year behind Glastonbury Tor, according to Time. He was named Photojournalist of the Year in 2013. Visit www.mattcardy.blogspot.co.uk<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"For\t\t\t

For fast-moving news stories, accurate continuous focusing is absolutely essential<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

How Matt sets up his Canon DSLR<\/h3>\n

1.\u2018I am on AF servo (continuous) by default, but switch to one shot if I am doing more static, feature-related stuff or portraits. AF servo is essential when photographing court and sport, particularly when I\u2019m shooting people coming out of courts of law, or am photographing big sporting events and\u00a0festivals.\u2019<\/p>\n

2. \u2018The EOS-1D X and 5D Mark III have numerous focusing points. I use single-point AF but with nine AF boxes illuminated, so if I\u2019m on AF servo at least one of the points will be\u00a0accurate.\u2019<\/p>\n

3. \u2018I\u2019m happy moving AF points around but don\u2019t need to set up back-button focusing, which I know lots of sport photographers swear by.\u2019<\/p>\n

Top tip<\/h3>\n

\u2018My tip is to learn about all the AF modes on your camera so you can take control and move AF points over the critical areas,\u2019 he says. \u2018In a hectic and crowded news \u201cbunfight\u201d you need to be sure you\u2019re focusing in the right place, and can\u2019t rely on the camera doing it for you\u2019<\/p>\n

Matt reckons he\u2019s able to get away with AF most of the time but will switch to manual mode when shooting at night, or where he wants to be absolutely sure an area is critically sharp \u2013 the subject\u2019s eye in a portrait, for\u00a0example.<\/p>\n

\n

Portrait photography<\/h2>\n

John Nasseri<\/h3>\n

John is a portrait photographer and teacher who is also an Olympus Visionary. His latest project is 80at80, which celebrates 80 years of Olympus cameras. See<\/em>
\n www.johnnassari.co.uk<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\"002_P7170623\"\n

How John sets up AF on his Olympus cameras<\/h3>\n

1.\u2018I normally set the AF to one shot, although I will use continuous shooting mode for a moving subject.\u2019<\/p>\n

2. \u2018Always focus on the eye. It\u2019s so important in portrait photography.\u2019<\/p>\n

3. \u2018Activate focus peaking, which will enable you to check that everything is sharp when focusing manually.\u2019<\/p>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"Careful\t\t\t

Careful aperture selection is also important \u2013 it\u2019s not only about putting the AF points on the eyes<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Top tip<\/h3>\n

\u2018For portraits, focus on the eye and stop down a bit,\u2019 says John. \u2018So I would close f\/1.8 to f\/3.2, or f\/2 to f\/4.\u2019 John\u2019s favourite lenses for portraits are the Zuiko 75mm f\/1.8, 60mm f\/2.8 macro and 45mm f\/1.8. He will also use manual focus if there is no rush to shoot.<\/p>\n

\n

Calibration station<\/h2>\n

Getting your DSLR lenses and bodies professionally calibrated for top AF performance used to be an expensive and complex process, particularly when done by the big camera makers. A relatively new company, Camera Focus Support Services (CFSS), claims to do it much more cheaply, with packages starting at \u00a3199.<\/p>\n

Founder Jon Mullins talks us through the process: \u2018We calibrate the lenses individually to each camera body. Calibrating a camera body on its own, or a lens on its own, makes no sense as they need to be tuned together.<\/p>\n

\u2018Remember, even a \u201ckit\u201d of camera and lens is still two individually made items that are then sold in a box together \u2013 they haven\u2019t been focus-calibrated to each other. They will have been set to a manufacturer\u2019s tolerance per item, but this will vary.\u2019<\/p>\n

Mullins claims some major successes in improving DSLR and lens AF performance, and notes that third-party AF lenses from Tamron, Sigma and Tokina also benefit from being focus-calibrated to each camera body. So why wouldn\u2019t tech-savvy photographers simply calibrate their gear themselves?<\/p>\n

\u2018We use FoCal Pro software, which people can buy themselves or have a FoCal test centre carry out the service for them (CFSS is one of only three recognised FoCal test centres in the UK and Ireland). But to carry out the calibration yourself you would need a consistent light source and a test area a minimum of 6.5m long to test a 200mm lens \u2013 plus a lot of patience and understanding of the quirks of the software.\u2019<\/p>\n

Mullins says the quality and condition of the lenses are a big factor in the length of a test, because of hidden element misalignment issues inside some lenses due to a knock or quality control during manufacture. Visit www.camerafocussupportservices.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We asked some of the top photographers in different fields for their best focusing tips and advice. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":323,"featured_media":92770,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[371],"tags":[],"product-category":[],"class_list":["post-92759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camera_skills"],"yoast_head":"\nAutofocus excellence: Focus like a pro - Amateur Photographer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We asked some of the top photographers in different fields for their best focusing tips and advice.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Autofocus excellence: Focus like a pro\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We asked some of the top photographers in different fields for their best focusing tips and advice.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Amateur Photographer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Amateur.photographer.magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-08-26T14:02:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-08-30T10:57:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2016\/08\/NIKON-10.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rosee Woodland\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@AP_Magazine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AP_Magazine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rosee Woodland\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Rosee Woodland\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/#\/schema\/person\/f95a396031978ed0ea69236f11b520a5\"},\"headline\":\"Autofocus excellence: Focus like a pro\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-08-26T14:02:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-08-30T10:57:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/\"},\"wordCount\":2197,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2016\/08\/NIKON-10.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Camera skills\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/\",\"name\":\"Autofocus excellence: Focus like a pro - Amateur Photographer\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2016\/08\/NIKON-10.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-08-26T14:02:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-08-30T10:57:36+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/#\/schema\/person\/f95a396031978ed0ea69236f11b520a5\"},\"description\":\"We asked some of the top photographers in different fields for their best focusing tips and advice.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2016\/08\/NIKON-10.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2016\/08\/NIKON-10.jpg\",\"width\":600,\"height\":350},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Technique\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Camera skills\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Autofocus excellence: Focus like a pro\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/\",\"name\":\"Amateur Photographer\",\"description\":\"The world's number 1 weekly photo magazine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/#\/schema\/person\/f95a396031978ed0ea69236f11b520a5\",\"name\":\"Rosee Woodland\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5feeb1a4d1e56e291627b3f9b7727d89?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5feeb1a4d1e56e291627b3f9b7727d89?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Rosee Woodland\"},\"description\":\"Rosee Woodland developed a taste for adventure at a young age, growing up in a home where camping was the default holiday, and good weather was a vacation bonus rather than a necessity. After bike-packing the length of France in her teens with her family, she started to undertake solo adventures in her 20s. Always a keen swimmer, she discovered a love of wild water 15 years ago, and has since swum the Dart 10k three times, qualified as a swim coach and learned to freedive. She is formerly editor of Advnture.com and deputy editor of Mountain Biking UK magazine and jumps at the chance to swim somewhere slightly muddy and remote, no matter how cold the water.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/iswim.likeagirl\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/author\/roseewoodland\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Autofocus excellence: Focus like a pro - Amateur Photographer","description":"We asked some of the top photographers in different fields for their best focusing tips and advice.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Autofocus excellence: Focus like a pro","og_description":"We asked some of the top photographers in different fields for their best focusing tips and advice.","og_url":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/","og_site_name":"Amateur Photographer","article_publisher":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Amateur.photographer.magazine","article_published_time":"2016-08-26T14:02:49+00:00","article_modified_time":"2016-08-30T10:57:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":600,"height":350,"url":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2016\/08\/NIKON-10.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Rosee Woodland","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@AP_Magazine","twitter_site":"@AP_Magazine","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Rosee Woodland","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/"},"author":{"name":"Rosee Woodland","@id":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/#\/schema\/person\/f95a396031978ed0ea69236f11b520a5"},"headline":"Autofocus excellence: Focus like a pro","datePublished":"2016-08-26T14:02:49+00:00","dateModified":"2016-08-30T10:57:36+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/"},"wordCount":2197,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2016\/08\/NIKON-10.jpg","articleSection":["Camera skills"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/","url":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/","name":"Autofocus excellence: Focus like a pro - Amateur Photographer","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2016\/08\/NIKON-10.jpg","datePublished":"2016-08-26T14:02:49+00:00","dateModified":"2016-08-30T10:57:36+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/#\/schema\/person\/f95a396031978ed0ea69236f11b520a5"},"description":"We asked some of the top photographers in different fields for their best focusing tips and advice.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2016\/08\/NIKON-10.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2016\/08\/NIKON-10.jpg","width":600,"height":350},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/autofocus-excellence-focus-like-pro\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Technique","item":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Camera skills","item":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/technique\/camera_skills\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Autofocus excellence: Focus like a pro"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/#website","url":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/","name":"Amateur Photographer","description":"The world's number 1 weekly photo magazine","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/#\/schema\/person\/f95a396031978ed0ea69236f11b520a5","name":"Rosee Woodland","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5feeb1a4d1e56e291627b3f9b7727d89?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5feeb1a4d1e56e291627b3f9b7727d89?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Rosee Woodland"},"description":"Rosee Woodland developed a taste for adventure at a young age, growing up in a home where camping was the default holiday, and good weather was a vacation bonus rather than a necessity. After bike-packing the length of France in her teens with her family, she started to undertake solo adventures in her 20s. Always a keen swimmer, she discovered a love of wild water 15 years ago, and has since swum the Dart 10k three times, qualified as a swim coach and learned to freedive. She is formerly editor of Advnture.com and deputy editor of Mountain Biking UK magazine and jumps at the chance to swim somewhere slightly muddy and remote, no matter how cold the water.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/iswim.likeagirl\/"],"url":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/author\/roseewoodland\/"}]}},"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2016\/08\/NIKON-10.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-20 17:39:33","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/323"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92759"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92759\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93942,"href":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92759\/revisions\/93942"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/92770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92759"},{"taxonomy":"product-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product-category?post=92759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}