Improving my Focusing - Street Photography

[TheBigE]

All,

So after looking over some photos from my recent trip from my attempt at Street Photography I am thinking I need to work a bit more on optimizing the focusing system on my D7200. I missed the focus on some of these shots and many of my street photos were culled because of incorrect focus. (Not to mention blurry because of two slow of a SS)

All of these were done with 70-300mm Lens. I certainly can also understand the need for higher ISO to raise the SS when shooting at the long end of the lens. For some of my work in Cassis this was an issue, and I simply did not have enough SS. However, I still think I could optimize my camera's AF system a bit more to help out.

Here is some background to consider

1. I am normally set for Single Point Focus (AF-S) and set it at the center of the viewfinder. I usually lock this point, but have moved it around with the scroll wheel to other portions of the frame.

2. I use back button focus. I put the single point over the area i want to be in focus (eyes, other features, etc) and wait for the lens to focus and then recompose. This forces me to consider what needs to be in focus. It works for me so far.

3. My eyesight is very poor and I wear glasses. I try to manual focus at times, but even with the diopter adjustment on my OVF I am still not really able to get a good Manual/Sharp Focus consistently. (ie what looks good in OVF does not look good when downloaded) This is a limitations that I can mostly work through, but find it most prominent when trying to manually focus quickly. If on a Tripod I typically use LV to focus.

4. I have not done the fine tune adjust focusing on my camera for my lenses yet.

For the most part, in stationary subject material I can make this work - for the dynamic situation in Street Photography what i the best recommendation for optimizing the focus on my camera given my above situation. Should I consider more AF points? Should I consider a more continuous focus mode?

Thanks for the help.

[george013]

All,

So after looking over some photos from my recent trip from my attempt at Street Photography I am thinking I need to work a bit more on optimizing the focusing system on my D7200. I missed the focus on some of these shots and many of my street photos were culled because of incorrect focus. (Not to mention blurry because of two slow of a SS)

All of these were done with 70-300mm Lens. I certainly can also understand the need for higher ISO to raise the SS when shooting at the long end of the lens. For some of my work in Cassis this was an issue, and I simply did not have enough SS. However, I still think I could optimize my camera's AF system a bit more to help out.

Here is some background to consider

1. I am normally set for Single Point Focus (AF-S) and set it at the center of the viewfinder. I usually lock this point, but have moved it around with the scroll wheel to other portions of the frame.

2. I use back button focus. I put the single point over the area i want to be in focus (eyes, other features, etc) and wait for the lens to focus and then recompose. This forces me to consider what needs to be in focus. It works for me so far.

3. My eyesight is very poor and I wear glasses. I try to manual focus at times, but even with the diopter adjustment on my OVF I am still not really able to get a good Manual/Sharp Focus consistently. (ie what looks good in OVF does not look good when downloaded) This is a limitations that I can mostly work through, but find it most prominent when trying to manually focus quickly. If on a Tripod I typically use LV to focus.

4. I have not done the fine tune adjust focusing on my camera for my lenses yet.

For the most part, in stationary subject material I can make this work - for the dynamic situation in Street Photography what i the best recommendation for optimizing the focus on my camera given my above situation. Should I consider more AF points? Should I consider a more continuous focus mode?

Thanks for the help.

Keep in mind that you don't focus on a subject but on a plane. So with first focusing and then framing your subject might become out of focus.

The advise is not to use fine tuning when the focus is working correct.

Me personal has the exposure under the AE-L/AF-L button and keep focus under the relase button.


George

[Mike Buckley]

My educated guess regarding the focusing is that you simply need more experience when focusing and then reframing the composition. As George explained, when using a small depth of field and when reframing the composition after establishing focus, a small depth of field can result in the wrong part of the image being out of focus.

Consider trying the following to obtain the helpful experience: Spend a day shooting at just one focal length and one aperture, probably a relatively large aperture. Doing so will then eliminate all but one pertinent variable -- distance between camera and subject. Once you get used to the impact of distance, spend a second day shooting at the same aperture but at a different focal length that is twice as long as the first focal length. Spend a third day shooting at yet a third focal length, again using the same aperture.

[Shanghai Steve]

Backfocussing and focus errors are a perenniel topic on Nikon forums. This why I no longer use Nikons. My D5100 messed up focus so often I just got rid of it and went mirrorless. Have not had a problem since. My GX1 seemed telepathic at times.
Street Photography with a 70-300mm zoom is....well that is another massive problem. The whole point of SP is to be unobtrusive, to put people at their ease, to "get in there".
The two most significant changes you can (I'm tempted to say "must") make to improve your SP are

1) Get a 35-50mm Prime!
2) Test the hell out of your focus module with the prime lens you intend to use for SP.

Focus and recompose can work obviously, although I have to say I don't use it, but there are problems with this in that
1) The focal plane can end up being wrong.
2) Perhaps more pertinently when wielding such a large zoom, one's steadiness can be badly put-out from the actual process of moving it quickly then trying to bring it to a quick stop.

Something else to be aware of is, SP is extremely difficult. I have ditched tens of thousands of shots. In the early days I tried all sorts of ludicrous "tricks" to get the shot, most of which resulted in my looking like a berk and annoying people.
The location of your shooting is also incredibly important. Busy, crowded places with lots going on is Rule 1. Take note of local festivals or holidays, unusual events at which crowds will gather. Get to relaxed markets or bring-and-buy sales. Walking around a deserted shopping centre on a Wednesday afternoon would challenge the most experienced shooter. An unititiated photographer might think that all they have to do to make great landscapes is drive to a field and click. We all know this is not the case. It is the same with SP. It is an entirely different, challenging genre which requires more than new photographic techniques. It requires a whole new mindset. I even own some shoes which I have since realised are inappropriate for SP!

[Manfred M]

Erik - I wear glasses to and have done so for most of my life. My experience is somewhat different to Steve's so it just shows that there are many different ways to approach street photography. I started street photography in the film / pre-autofocus days, so I have a different perspective than people who started in the autofocus / digital world.

1. Try zone focusing - this is what Cartier-Bresson did in much of his work. A moderate aperture (f/8 (or even smaller)) and a moderate focal length lens; again Cartier-Bresson shot with a "normal" lens (50mm on a full-frame camera) and use this with DoF tables to establish a zone of what will be in focus. Disengage your AF mechanism and judge as to when the shot is in range. Use a moderately light shutter speed and try this approach. It's definitely a time honoured way of doing street photography - a wider field of view gives you more of a safety margin with this approach.

As Mike has mentioned, it does take practice to get good at any type of photography.

2. I use focus and recompose for some of my work as well. It does require a fair bit of practice. Unlike Steve, I find a DSLR with the phase detect focus mechanism is much better with this technique than the somewhat slower contrast detect mechanism found in mirrorless cameras. Start with a stationary subject and as you get better, you will be better at freezing moving subjects too. If there is a back focus issue, depth of field will fix that issue easily (I have never found any of my Nikon bodies / lenses that have this issue) and none of the good and knowledgeable Nikon shooters (many are commercial photographers) seem to have this issue, so I discount what I read in the groups.

3. There are a number of different techniques in street photography. Sometimes "stealth" shots work, sometimes engaging you subject works. All have their adherents and detractors. I tend to mix things up and do a bit of everything. I tend to like shots where I make camera / eye contact with my subjects, but sometimes I prefer being anonymous and shooting people unaware. Sometimes I engage the people I am shooting and at other times I don't. It depends on my mood, the shots I am after, the location, etc. There are areas where a lot of photographers visit (markets, for instance), where people have become sensitive to cameras and shooters, and stealth is often the only way to shoot in these locations. Festivals, on the other hand seem to be totally different and people don't mind having their picture taken and it can be hard to get a shot that is not posed.

4. I often use a technique I refer to as "hiding in plain sight". If I hang around a place long enough, I people get used to me and not even notice me with my large camera body and large lens. I find this is often my favourite way of shooting.

5. I find that I rarely use a fixed focal length lens for street photography. I find them too limiting, even though I do own quite a few prime lenses.

Where I do agree with Steve is that this type of photography does require a totally different approach and skill set that say landscape photography. On the other hand, a portrait background prepares you well for this type of shooting.

[rpcrowe]

Individual lenses and cameras all have their idiosyncrasies regarding focus. Some combos are easier to focus or focus better than other combinations. IMO, the Canon 7D and especially the Canon 7D Mark II are two of the top contenders out there in "Photo Land." Combine these with the Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens and you have a top notch focusing combination...

Your systems of focusing

"1. I am normally set for Single Point Focus (AF-S) and set it at the center of the viewfinder. I usually lock this point, but have moved it around with the scroll wheel to other portions of the frame.

2. I use back button focus. I put the single point over the area i want to be in focus (eyes, other features, etc) and wait for the lens to focus and then recompose. This forces me to consider what needs to be in focus. It works for me so far.

3. My eyesight is very poor and I wear glasses. I try to manual focus at times, but even with the diopter adjustment on my OVF I am still not really able to get a good Manual/Sharp Focus consistently. (ie what looks good in OVF does not look good when downloaded) This is a limitations that I can mostly work through, but find it most prominent when trying to manually focus quickly. If on a Tripod I typically use LV to focus."

are O.K. when shooting a non-moving subject but, it is difficult to focus and recompose when shooting a moving subject. When shooting a moving subject, the subject will move out of focus during the time you are trying to recompose.

I have my Canon 7D set up for zone focus with the group of four focus points at the top selected when I am in landscape or horizontal configuration...



When I rotate my camera to portrait/vertical configuration, the camera automatically (after previously selecting this option in the menu) switches to the group on top group in the landscape configuration



This way with the top grouping selected, the camera/lens will most often pick out the heads/faces of subjects.

The 7D and 70-200mm f/4L IS has almost instant focus and is a joy to use. The 7D (as well as the 7D II and the 5D III) has many other ways of achieving focus. The cameras are very adaptable and can be configured in many different ways.

I usually have my camera in AI Servo AF when shooting moving subjects. Once the subject is locked on, the focus will follow that subject / part of subject.

I can get very decent image quality at ISO 800 and excellent IQ at ISO 320 or 400 which, aided by the fine Image Stabilization (I know that the IS will not stop moving subjects) moving subjects like people walking on the street are absolutely no problem.

I don't know about Nikon focus in general or your camera/lens specifically. I just mentioned how I use my camera and lens. And mention that there are vast differences in AF capability between specific camera/lens combinations

Additionally, I like to have my camera set up in burst mode when shooting any moving subject.

Finally: My eyesight is not longer what it was when I was a young man (I am 76-years old), The bright 100% viewfinder of the 7D with the pentaprism really helps focusing. However, I tend to let the autofocus (guided by me) do most of the focusing....

I mention the differences in camera models because last year I purchased a used Canon 5D II because I got one almost new at a very-very good price. This was the opportunity to tray full-frame digital. However, the auto focus of this camera sucks in comparison to my 7D cameras. I even dislike it for shooting puppies. It is antiquated and a lot like the way my old 30D and 40D auto focused. I suspect that there are many other cameras of other brands out there in "Photo-Land" that have auto focus of no better quality than my 5D II... I am dumping the 5D II camera at first opportunity because of the focus system. I plan on selling the 5DII and one of my 7D cameras and purchasing a 7D Mark II as soon as I can find a refurbished copy from Canon or Adorama. NOTE: I just found one and ordered it from Canon USA. My 5D II and 7D are going on the block tomorrow (I am busy with a dog adoption event today)...

Although, all of my photography is not of moving subjects, I like having a camera that can nail the focus on those moving subjects. BTW: along these lines: the capability of selecting and registering a group of shooting parameters with User Selected Modes is really great. I always have one of the user selected modes set up for shooting moving subjects.

[Mike Buckley]

Manfred mentioned the possibility of using manual focusing when using zone focusing. I've been in very specific situations such as runners crossing a finish line when auto focusing on the finish line and then switching to manual focusing, being sure not to touch the focusing ring, works marvelously.

[Sergio M.]

Erik, when I first started doing street photography I was using the Canon 24-105. I also used back button focus and the center point. What I found when recomposing was I was not only missing focus, but more often than not I was missing the moment. Things happen so fast that the time taken to recompose often meant missing what I was after. What I then started to do was to zoom a little wider and center focus on my subject without recomposing. I then did cropping and composition afterward during post processing. Some consider this cheating; I do not. The important thing for me is to get the moment I am after. Others of course will have a differing objective.

While rules can be helpful as guidelines, I find they can also be restrictive and prohibitive in allowing one to grow into their own. The key is to experiment as has been pointed out. Find what works best for and allows you to do what you're after. Your current kit will work for street photography, but you'll have to find the best way to use it.

If you find you really like street photography, like I did, then you might consider a prime lens. Using it as described by Manfred works a charm for me, and I find it to be faster since all I have to do is compose.

I do think your previous street outing worked very well. Enjoy yourself, be safe, and have fun.

Sergio

[Shadowman]

I would also consider switching to AF-C and try a burst of shots as the slightest movement from handholding and pressing the shutter can offset the focus by a tad. Not saying you need to always shoot this way, just try it out and see if you get more keepers.

[TheBigE]

Thanks everyone for the great input. I see a few different ways to try this and improve.

I certainly think my technique can be improved, and supported with some optimization of my AF system on my camera. I do also like the Zone Focusing Idea. Conceptually I think this idea would be easy to employ and help improve the results.

I really did not realize how much I was missing the focus until I came back from my last trip. I know this was complicated a bit by using a Longer Lens 70-300mm. For me this lens was an exercise to go beyond using my normal street zoom. For future work, my plan is to use my 16-85mm Lens.