Comments on: Focusing Fast Action (Contest Post!) http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/focusing-fast-action-contest-post/ Photography, Tips, Techniques, and Adventures Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:27:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: Thomas http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/focusing-fast-action-contest-post/comment-page-1/#comment-685 Thomas Thu, 07 Jan 2010 06:18:41 +0000 http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/?p=839#comment-685 Rad, thanks! Looking forward to checking out the Clik Elite gear. Keep up the stellar work! Rad, thanks! Looking forward to checking out the Clik Elite gear. Keep up the stellar work!

]]> By: Adam http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/focusing-fast-action-contest-post/comment-page-1/#comment-684 Adam Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:20:29 +0000 http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/?p=839#comment-684 Hey Jimmy-- Hyperfocal distance doesn't particularly apply here cause we're not really looking for maximum depth of field, we're more looking for focus accuracy on a particular spot. Even when focusing at infinity, I am still looking for limited depth of field to a degree (obviously this depends on the shot). Most of the time, I am looking for separation between the athlete and everything else and this can be achieved by shooting at smaller apertures. Again, there are exceptions to this, but by and large it is the case most of the time. Additionally, while hyperfocal results are adequate for landscape work, I am looking for my athlete to be tack sharp, and most of the time, I'm not willing to take the "acceptably sharp" results yielded by hyperfocusing. Thanks for the comment! Hey Jimmy–
Hyperfocal distance doesn’t particularly apply here cause we’re not really looking for maximum depth of field, we’re more looking for focus accuracy on a particular spot. Even when focusing at infinity, I am still looking for limited depth of field to a degree (obviously this depends on the shot). Most of the time, I am looking for separation between the athlete and everything else and this can be achieved by shooting at smaller apertures. Again, there are exceptions to this, but by and large it is the case most of the time. Additionally, while hyperfocal results are adequate for landscape work, I am looking for my athlete to be tack sharp, and most of the time, I’m not willing to take the “acceptably sharp” results yielded by hyperfocusing. Thanks for the comment!

]]> By: JimmyJames http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/focusing-fast-action-contest-post/comment-page-1/#comment-683 JimmyJames Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:11:30 +0000 http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/?p=839#comment-683 Another technique is Hyperfocal Distance. Or maybe that is what you mean by infinity focus. Great shoots! Another technique is Hyperfocal Distance. Or maybe that is what you mean by infinity focus. Great shoots!

]]> By: Adam http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/focusing-fast-action-contest-post/comment-page-1/#comment-680 Adam Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:41:56 +0000 http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/?p=839#comment-680 Alrighty!! Thanks to everyone for their responses. Looks like Thomas nailed it right out of the gate with an accurate focus assessment of each shot. I've included explanations for each shot below. Thomas--please email me your address and I'll get your prize shipped out. Congrats! 1. Pre Focus--this image was shot with a 70-200mm lens, and it should be obvious that I'm shooting at infinity focus here. I chose to focus on the skim lit ridge, just where the skier was instructed to go. 2. Focus Tracking--the skier is approaching the camera at a fast rate of speed here. I grabbed focus about 1 second before the athlete exploded into the air. 3. Pre Focus--this image was shot with a 24-105mm lens. I chose to pre focus on a specific spot as I wanted to make sure and frame the shot up with the shadowed section of snow in the foreground. Had I been tracking focus on this shot, it would have been much more difficult to compose exactly as I wanted to. It's also worth noting that this image is a good candidate for pre focus as the skier is maintaining an approximate equal distance from the focal plane throughout the action sequence. 4. Focus Tracking--same as #2. Grab focus before the skier gets into the apex of his/her turn. Keep the manually chosen focus zone over the face of the skier, and click away. 5. Pre Focus--A bit of a tricky one here. Back lit conditions with all the crazy snow crystals in the air can often confuse the camera's AF. I instructed the skier where to make the magic happen and focused on that spot. 6. Pre Focus--This image was obviously created with a wide angle lens. The skier is a significant distance away from me, which means I was shooting at infinity focus. Aperture was stopped down to f16 to get a pronounced sunburst. Again, thanks for playing! Check back again some time soon for more contests and giveaways! Alrighty!! Thanks to everyone for their responses. Looks like Thomas nailed it right out of the gate with an accurate focus assessment of each shot. I’ve included explanations for each shot below. Thomas–please email me your address and I’ll get your prize shipped out. Congrats!

1. Pre Focus–this image was shot with a 70-200mm lens, and it should be obvious that I’m shooting at infinity focus here. I chose to focus on the skim lit ridge, just where the skier was instructed to go.

2. Focus Tracking–the skier is approaching the camera at a fast rate of speed here. I grabbed focus about 1 second before the athlete exploded into the air.

3. Pre Focus–this image was shot with a 24-105mm lens. I chose to pre focus on a specific spot as I wanted to make sure and frame the shot up with the shadowed section of snow in the foreground. Had I been tracking focus on this shot, it would have been much more difficult to compose exactly as I wanted to. It’s also worth noting that this image is a good candidate for pre focus as the skier is maintaining an approximate equal distance from the focal plane throughout the action sequence.

4. Focus Tracking–same as #2. Grab focus before the skier gets into the apex of his/her turn. Keep the manually chosen focus zone over the face of the skier, and click away.

5. Pre Focus–A bit of a tricky one here. Back lit conditions with all the crazy snow crystals in the air can often confuse the camera’s AF. I instructed the skier where to make the magic happen and focused on that spot.

6. Pre Focus–This image was obviously created with a wide angle lens. The skier is a significant distance away from me, which means I was shooting at infinity focus. Aperture was stopped down to f16 to get a pronounced sunburst.

Again, thanks for playing! Check back again some time soon for more contests and giveaways!

]]> By: Dan Richards http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/focusing-fast-action-contest-post/comment-page-1/#comment-679 Dan Richards Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:43:54 +0000 http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/?p=839#comment-679 Nice Shots Adam 1- Pre-focus 2- Focus Tracking 3- Focus Tracking 4- Focus Tracking 5- Focus Tracking 6- Pre-focus Nice Shots Adam
1- Pre-focus
2- Focus Tracking
3- Focus Tracking
4- Focus Tracking
5- Focus Tracking
6- Pre-focus

]]> By: clark http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/focusing-fast-action-contest-post/comment-page-1/#comment-678 clark Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:07:56 +0000 http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/?p=839#comment-678 1. Pre-focus 2. Pre-focus 3. Pre-focus 4. Focus tracking 5. Focus tracking 6. Focus tracking 1. Pre-focus
2. Pre-focus
3. Pre-focus
4. Focus tracking
5. Focus tracking
6. Focus tracking

]]> By: Karen http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/focusing-fast-action-contest-post/comment-page-1/#comment-675 Karen Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:15:50 +0000 http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/?p=839#comment-675 1. Pre-focus 2. Pre-focus 3. Pre-focus 4. Focus Tracking 5. Pre-focus 6. Focus Tracking 1. Pre-focus
2. Pre-focus
3. Pre-focus
4. Focus Tracking
5. Pre-focus
6. Focus Tracking

]]> By: Jabba http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/focusing-fast-action-contest-post/comment-page-1/#comment-674 Jabba Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:49:25 +0000 http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/?p=839#comment-674 1. Pre focus 2. Focus tracking 3. Pre focus 4. Pre focus 5. Pre focus 6. Pre focus 1. Pre focus
2. Focus tracking
3. Pre focus
4. Pre focus
5. Pre focus
6. Pre focus

]]> By: Paul http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/focusing-fast-action-contest-post/comment-page-1/#comment-672 Paul Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:05:16 +0000 http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/?p=839#comment-672 1 – Pre Focus 2 – Focus Tracking 3 – Pre Focus 4 – Focus Tracking 5 – Pre Focus 6 – Pre Focus Thank You for posting this, nice advices. 1 – Pre Focus
2 – Focus Tracking
3 – Pre Focus
4 – Focus Tracking
5 – Pre Focus
6 – Pre Focus

Thank You for posting this, nice advices.

]]> By: Luke http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/focusing-fast-action-contest-post/comment-page-1/#comment-670 Luke Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:13:33 +0000 http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/blog/?p=839#comment-670 1- pre-focus 2- focus tracking 3- pre-focus 4- focus tracking 5- focus tracking 6- focus tracking Thanks for the always informative lessons. 1- pre-focus
2- focus tracking
3- pre-focus
4- focus tracking
5- focus tracking
6- focus tracking

Thanks for the always informative lessons.

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