photo

3. Focusing is your camera’s
system of moving the lens
in and out so that the
sharpest possible image is
projected onto your
camera’s sensor. Focal
Point is the point at which
all the light rays from your
chosen subject meet at a
common point of sharp
focus on your camera’s
sensor.

4. We focus on our subject matter using the
camera’s shutter button. When we press this
button halfway down it focuses on a particular
point. Sometimes you can hear a beep or see
a point highlighted (red) in your viewfinder.

5. Elliott Erwitt, Santa Monica, California, 1955.

7. If we use our cameras in fully automatic mode
we cannot choose what point our camera is to
focus on. Our camera makes that decision for
us. However, as soon as we move away from
fully automatic mode we can choose the focal
point in each image
we take.
Our digital cameras
have sophisticated
Focusing systems,
which give us much
control over the
Focal Point.

8. Focusing Points
Cameras all have a number of different focusing
points. How many depends on your camera model.

10. You can
choose which
point you
would like to
use or
you can
select all of
them if you
want your
camera to
decide for
you.

11. Selecting all the focusing points is
usually only
recommended for sports or nature
photography where
the subjects are moving erratically
and independently.
By selecting all the AF focusing
points the camera
decides which point the subject is
closest to and
changes back and forth accordingly
to keep the subject
in focus.
For most other types of photography
you will pick just
one AF focusing point.

12. AF LOCK
When the shutter button is pressed
halfway, it is possible to LOCK focus
on your subject.
As long as you keep your finger in
place AF lock will remain until you
are ready to press the button fully to
take your picture. By using this
technique you can always set your
focusing point to the middle. Half
press the shutter button and then
reposition your camera if you want to
compose your picture differently.
Your Focal Point will remain where
you first selected it.

13. Focus exercise
Compose your image with
your subject in the right
hand side of the frame

14. Move the camera right or left so the square brackets in
the center of the viewfinder are over the actual subject.
Press and hold the shutter button halfway down so the
camera focuses on the subject. Keep your finger on the
button.

15. Slowly move your camera back to where you
composed the picture in step 1. Press (squeeze) the
shutter button all the way down. It may take some
practice to do it right, but the results will be great!

16. AF MODE / DRIVE MODE
You can also select an Autofocus Mode and Drive
Mode to match your shooting conditions and subject
matter.
Autofocus Modes:
One-Shot / AF-S / S-AF: Suitable for still subjects.
When you press the shutter halfway down your camera
will focus only once on your subject.
AI Servo / AF-C / C-AF: Suitable for moving subjects
where the focusing distance keeps changing.
When you press the shutter button halfway the subject
will be focused continuously.

18. DRIVE MODES
Single Shooting:
when you press the shutter down completely
one
image will be taken
Continuous Shooting:
when you press the
shutter down completely, shots will be taken
continuously. The number of shots

20. Focus City Alphabet
Your task this week is to create a
photographic Urban Alphabet.
You can do this on your walk
home from school, go into St
Albans or visit another town or
city. You will be surprised once
you start how many letters you
can spot.
Remember to use ‘Lock Focus’
on the letters you spot

21. A few ideas….

22. This week……
-Present contact sheets of summer
work in your sketchbook and annotate
- Enlarge a selection of these images
and annotate and explain your
intentions.
-Create a double page on a
photographer who creates letters out
of their surroundings
-Complete your ‘Focus City Alphabet’
and print a contact sheet (don’t stick in
yet)
Deadline: Monday 17th
September
(you will need your DSLR camera on this date!)