VISUAL TECHNIQUES 3

FOCUSING & FLASH

PRESENTED BY;
NELSCY MAE JOY AVANCEÑA
ALBERTO GONZALES III
RENZO DIWA
PETER JOHN MOZO
UNDERSTANDING FOCUS IN PHOTOGRAPHY

One important technique to understand in photography, especially when

you’re starting out, is the concept of focus. If you don’t focus properly, you
will end up with blurry photos even when all your other camera settings are
correct. Focusing can be easy or difficult depending on your subject, like a
nonmoving landscape versus a fast-moving bird in flight. This guide covers
everything you need to know in order to focus properly and capture sharp
images.
 What is Focus?

IN EVERY PHOTO YOU TAKE, THERE WILL BE A PLANE OF FOCUS. THIS IS THE
REGION IN SPACE WITH THE POTENTIAL TO BE AS SHARP AS POSSIBLE IN A
PHOTO.WITH MODERN EQUIPMENT, FOCUSING TYPICALLY TAKES PLACE
WITHIN YOUR LENS, WHICH HAS GLASS ELEMENTS INSIDE THAT CAN MOVE
FORWARD AND BACKWARD TO CHANGE THE OPTICAL PATH OF LIGHT. ALONG
THE SAME LINES, IF YOU PHYSICALLY MOVE YOUR LENS FARTHER FROM THE
CAMERA, YOU’LL CHANGE WHERE THE PLANE OF FOCUS IS POSITIONED.
(THIS IS HOW EXTENSION TUBES WORK FOR MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY.)
 Automatic focus, or autofocus - is
FOCUSING when the camera system drives a motor
to move elements in your lens to change
HAPPENS EITHER focus.
AUTOMATICALLY
OR MANUALLY.
Focus manually - you need to turn a
ring or similar mechanism on the lens
instead.
 PHASE DETECTION
is very fast and good at tracking moving subjects,
since it doesn’t require much computational work
from your camera. However, it is also more prone
to errors and internal misalignment issues. Some
cameras let you calibrate your phase detection
system to minimize errors.

Two main types of autofocus

CONTRAST DETECTION systems
requires your camera to process more data, which
means it generally takes longer to lock focus. As a
result, it isn’t good at tracking moving subjects.
However, contrast detection does tend to be more
precise, since the autofocus system is directly
measuring the data from your camera sensor. This
is good when your subject isn’t moving as fast, like
landscape photography.
 ANOTHER IMPORTANT DECISION YOU MUST MAKE WHEN USING
AUTOFOCUS IS TO PICK YOUR FOCUSING MODE. THE TWO MOST
IMPORTANT AND COMMON OPTIONS ARE CONTINUOUS-SERVO AND
SINGLE-SERVO AUTOFOCUS:
Continuous-servo
is also known as AI Servo (Canon) and AF-C (Nikon).
Essentially, it means that your camera continuously
adjusts focus whenever you hold down the focusing
button. This is ideal when you are photographing a
moving subject and trying to track its position.
Single-servo
is also known as One-Shot (Canon) and AF-S (Nikon). In
this case, once your camera acquires focus, it doesn’t
readjust until you let go of the focusing button and try
again. This is ideal when your subject and camera are
completely still, and there is no need to keep adjusting
from moment to moment for proper focus.
AUTOFOCUS AREA
MODES
A major part of focusing is choosing the
right autofocus area mode. This is where
you tell your camera which sort of
focusing strategy you want to apply, so
that it can make the best decisions on
how to track and follow focus on your
subject.
 AUTOFOCUS MODES
Single-Point
autofocus
The camera uses one focusing point
to autofocus – the focusing point
you’ve selected. This is good when
your camera and subject aren’t
moving, and you don’t need any
tracking capabilities. It can work with
continuous autofocus, but it doesn’t
track fast-moving objects across
multiple points.
Dynamic
autofocus
You select a single focusing point for
the camera to use. In this case,
though, it can track your subject if it
moves into some of the surrounding
points (you usually can specify how
many the camera pays attention to).
This area mode is good for wildlife
photography.
3D Tracking
autofocus
The camera follows your subject as it
moves across focusing points. Unlike
the standard Dynamic AF-Area
mode, you aren’t expected to pan
your camera around to keep your
subject as close as possible to the
original point you selected. This is
also good for wildlife photography.
 AUTOFOCUS MODES

Group-Area Auto-Area
autofocus autofocus
The camera uses multiple autofocus
is when your camera automatically
points simultaneously, usually five. It
scans the scene and decides on your
gives all of them equal priority, and
subject (often the closest object to
focuses on the nearest object located
your camera, or a face). We don’t
on any of the five points. This is
recommend this mode, since it gives
useful for tricky autofocus situations,
you less control.
such as a fast-moving bird in flight.
THE AF- ON
BUTTON

By default, most cameras will autofocus when you half-

press the shutter button. Although this is a nice feature,
there are times when you will want the two actions –
focusing, and taking a photo – to be separate from one
another. Most cameras let you do this by assigning focus to
a different button, often called AF-On, and removing it from
the shutter release button. AF-On is exactly like half-
pressing the shutter release, but it’s just in a different
location.
 SO, WHEN DOES AF-ON HELP A PHOTO?

If you want to lock If you want to focus If you need to wait a

focus across several and recompose. bit before capturing
photos. the photo.
 Where to Focus?

Most of the time, you should simply focus on your main subject. Typically,
if you’re photographing a person, focus on one of their eyes. The same
goes for wildlife photography, event photography, and so on. It comes
down to the effect you want to convey in an image.There are no
unbreakable rules for where you should focus. It’s a creative, artistic
decision.
FOCUS STACKING However, it also has some
issues. If anything in your photo
ONE TECHNIQUE YOU MIGHT HEAR ABOUT FROM
is moving, proper focus stacking
TIME TO TIME IS CALLED FOCUS STACKING.
WITH THIS METHOD, YOU TAKE SEVERAL can be almost impossible. Even
PHOTOS FOCUSED AT DIFFERENT POINTS, AND in a best-case scenario, it still
THEN YOU COMBINE THE SHARPEST BITS OF
takes extra time in the field and
EVERY PHOTO TOGETHER. IN A PERFECT WORLD,
THE RESULTING IMAGE WILL BE COMPLETELY in post-processing. But it
SHARP EVERYWHERE YOU WANT. FOCUS sometimes will be the only way
STACKING CAN BE USEFUL, ESPECIALLY FOR
to capture enough depth of field
MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY AND LANDSCAPE
PHOTOGRAPHY, WHERE IT CAN BE HARD TO GET in a photo, so keep it in mind for
A SHARP ENOUGH PHOTO FROM FRONT TO BACK a rainy day.
WITH ANY OTHER METHOD.
 CONCLUSION

FOCUSING IS A DEEP TOPIC IN PHOTOGRAPHY THAT IS

VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND. WHEN YOUR PHOTOS
ARE PROPERLY FOCUSED, THEY WILL BE SHARP AND
DETAILED, WITH A SENSE OF INTENT AND SKILL BEHIND
THEM. THIS APPLIES TO EVERY TYPE OF PHOTOGRAPHY,
FROM SPORTS TO LANDSCAPES. IT’S BEST TO LEARN
THINGS THE RIGHT WAY AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE SO THAT
YOU DON’T FALL INTO BAD HABITS ALONG THE WAY.
 Thank you!
END OF "FOCUSING" PRESENTATION

UPNEXT FLASH...
When to Use Flash?
Renzo Diwa & Peter Mozo
What is Flash?
The flash is a device that emits
light momentarily.

Thanks to the instant exposure,

using the flash can also be
effective to prevent camera shake
and subject blur.

Photographers often love the feel of soft, natural light, knowing

how to utilize artificial light can be of tremendous value in low-
light environments.
Indoors
• Lighting Ballrooms
• Churches
• Wedding / Corporate
• Reception Areas

High-end DSLRs may be flexible enough to capture images

in poorly lit environments, but it is a game of compromises.

DSLRs - digital single-lens reflex camera

• low light levels, cause blurry images due to
motion blur / camera shake

• increase ISO level too high, which obviously

increases noise, messes up colors and greatly
reduces dynamic range. blurry images

noise messed up colors dynamic range

You can start out with a simple configuration, with flash mounted on
your camera, or you could get more creative and use flash in an off-
camera setup to make images appear more dramatic and well-
balanced.
• Wedding ballrooms, churches and reception areas are prone to have less
than ideal light.
• The idea here is to be able to create a primary source of light that is brighter
and more pleasant than the dim ambient light.
• Generally, churches do not allow using flash during ceremonies.
• But you can most certainly use strobes and light modifiers in other locations.
What is the basic set up?
Bounce Flash

If you have white ceilings that are not too

high, you can mount flash on your DSLR
and bounce light off the ceiling or nearby
white walls.

If the walls / ceiling are of different colors, It

is not recommend to bounce flash at all.

Remember that light will assume the color

of where it is being bounced from.

Green walls will create a nice green skin

color on your subjects :)
Off-camera flash
A more complex setup involves moving the light source away from your camera. You could
set up a couple of lights that will illuminate the area from multiple sides / angles.

(C) Setting up one flash behind your subject as rim light

(B) and a single flash bouncing off or shooting through an umbrella could create great
images in indoors environments.
Photographing Details Indoors
As an event photographer, part of the job of is
to photograph details for vendors.

You are expected to capture those details well.

If you wish to avoid using flash in these
circumstances, you need to make sure that
you are photographing at least at a semi-lit
location.

What you need here is a tripod and a camera

set for slower shutter speed.

This process will ensure that the camera

gathers sufficient light to produce a sharp and
balanced photo.
Photographing Details Indoors
One thing that it will not do, is speed up the
process.

If you wish to cut your time in half and be done

with photographing details faster, your only
other bet is to properly light your area of work.

For this purpose, a flash on top of your camera

bouncing off a white card might be enough
(Bounce Flash).

But you can go a little more complex with

stationed back light and fill light on the side for
a more balanced / professional look.
(Off-camera flash)
Outdoors
Fill Flash
It is a technique photographers use to brighten deep shadowed areas,
especially on gray days or extremely sunny sessions.
As the term suggests, fill flash adds light to deep shadows cast harsh
lighting. You can use fill light whenever the background is brighter than
the main subject of the photo.
FILL FLASH - WHEN USING BACKLIT
Photographing subjects backlit can create a
nice separation and bring more depth to
images.
But you should also know that if the subject is
heavily backlit (say with the sun behind), the
opposite side of the subject where you stand
might get underexposed.
While you can bring a reflector (and
potentially an assistant for holding it) to help
you get a more balanced exposure from the
front, fill flash can do wonders, too.
A single diffused light positioned away from
the camera would do the job.
When should I use fill flash outdoors?
Fill flash is really helpful in a few different situations:

• When your subject is backlit (the background light is brighter than the
light on your subject’s face).

• To lighten shadows and add detail to darker areas without overexposing

highlights.

• Fill in shadows caused by hats, other people’s heads or facial features.

• Add catchlights to your subject’s eyes.

• You want to expose your subjects properly but still keep some color and
texture to your sky.

• To add some separation from your background and subject.

 SUNNY DAY– OVERPOWERING THE SUN TO AVOID HOT
SPOTS AND INTENSE SHADOWS
• The midday sun is harsh. It not only illuminates subjects very strongly,
it can also create some very dark shadows. If your friend is wearing a
hat or is facing away from the sun, you will definitely want to use a fill
flash to light up some of the darker spots.
• Using a flash in the middle of the day may seem
very strange and unintuitive. There is a lot of
light, after all, so why would you need a flash?

• Here is why. It has to do with the presence of

uneven lighting. Because the sun is so bright,
the camera adjusts the shutter speed so none of
your image is too bright.

• That means the shaded areas will appear even

less lit than the illuminated areas. To
compensate for the darkness, you have to throw
some extra light on the darker areas, evening
them out with the rest of the photo. Your friends
will give you some weird looks for doing this,
but it is completely necessary.
 AVOIDING ENVIRONMENTAL COLOR
CASTS ON YOUR SUBJECT’S SKIN TONE
While working with natural reflectors, you always
run into a problem where your subject will
assume the color of the reflective surface.

I encounter the same problems while

photographing, and it sure might be a lot of
hassle during post-processing. Although there is
no cure for it in the camera, you can reduce this
effect by using a reflector right next to your
subject.

You can also use fill flash (umbrella, softbox or

other modifier) to illuminate your subject, which
will more or less isolate him/her from the rest of
the background and reduce color reflections.
 AVOIDING ENVIRONMENTAL COLOR
CASTS ON YOUR SUBJECT’S SKIN TONE

I find that using flash is often easier than a

reflector in such situations, especially when I
want to light my subjects from different
angles. It works similarly in supplementing
existing natural light to provide better
exposure balance between the subject and
the background, but the fill flash gives you
even more freedom to adjust the angle and
power of light on your subject’s face.
TO HAVE FUN BY ADDING DIFFERENT
COLORS TO IMAGES WITH GELS
Flash gels refer to transparent, colored materials
that are placed in front of your flash to alter its
color. For instance, you can place an orange flash
gel in front of the flash to make it orange; you can
place a blue flash gel in front of the flash to make it
blue; you can place a green flash gel in front of the
flash to make it blue.

Flash gels are cheap and easy to use, which is why

they’re a fantastic way to spice up your
photography. By adding a flash gel to your light
sources, you can quickly add some flair to
otherwise bland images.
 BENEFITS OF USING AN EXTERNAL FLASH:

• A cleaner look to the diffusers • More control of your lighting.

you use to soften your lighting.
• Added creativity with your
• Reflectors can change the angles lighting.
and intensity of bounced light.
• More options with positioning,
• A flexibility to the ways you can tripods, and remotes.
angle and turn it.
• Lighting looks more natural.
• Red eye reduction in portraits
• Varied possibilities to bounce
• Better illumination of subjects light off walls or ceilings.
who are farther away
 FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
• Bounce the Light • Use TTL Technology
• Diffuse Your Flash • Enable High-Speed Flash Sync
• Make Use of Ambient Light • Use More Than One Flash
• Use Colored Flash Gels

CONCLUSION
Contrary to what many beginners think, flash is not only used to brighten a nearby scene or
subject. It can also set the mood, add emphasis to image elements, and create special effects
in your photograph, making flash photography fun and extremely useful for photographers.
Flash helps you to use another dimension in your photography. While at times you do not have
any other choice but use flash, I encourage every photographer out there to leave some room
to be creative. Regardless of the type of photography you do, it is just another skill that will
keep you challenged and motivated to do something different.
 THANK YOU!!!

BSA 2-B Renzo Diwa 202040388psu.palawan.edu.ph

Peter Mozo
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