How to Focus Your Camera for Crisp Images

In any photograph, there is one two-dimensional plane in the foreground, middleground, or background where the picture is the sharpest. This is the plane of focus, and it sits parallel to the camera’s sensor). By adjusting the focus on your camera either manually or automatically, you can change where this plane of focus falls. Adjusting the focus can lead to sharper images, or, if handled in a specific way, create depth of field and emphasize just one part of an image while blurring everything behind it.

The plane of focus is where a picture is at its sharpest, but it’s not the only part of a photograph a viewer perceives as in focus. Objects near the plane of focus will appear equally sharp if they lie within a certain range—this range is called the depth of field.

You can opt for a shallow depth of field, in which less of the image is in focus (like a portrait with a blurred background or bokeh), or a deeper depth of field, in which more of the image is in focus (like a landscape). You can control the depth of field by adjusting the aperture—the part of the camera that controls how much light enters the camera and hits the sensor. The diameter of the aperture is adjusted by changing the f-stop, f/number, or focal ratio. The smaller the f/number the wider the aperture, the shallower the depth of field. The larger the f/number, the narrower the aperture, the deeper the depth of field. A wider aperture equals a large f-stop and a deep depth of field.

In most cameras, focusing takes place within the lens, which does the job of bending light onto the camera sensor, capturing a miniature representation of the real scene in front of it. The subject of your image is in your plane of focus when all the reflected light from that subject perfectly converges onto the sensor at a single point. When the subject falls outside the plane of focus, the light converges somewhere before or behind the sensor, resulting in a blur.

Focusing a camera is all about changing the distance between the subject of the image, the lens, and the sensor. The photographer can do this by adjusting the camera settings—or simply moving closer or further away from their subject.

The old-school way of adjusting focus is manually, by twisting the barrel of the camera lens. Most digital cameras are also equipped with autofocus systems, which often work more quickly and accurately. They use a motor in the camera focus on a subject the photographer selects, usually by pressing the shutter button down halfway. There’s still a place for manual focusing, however. If the camera is struggling on auto focus mode—perhaps because of low light conditions—then it’s good to have a manual override.

Sharp images still eluding you? These tips will help anyone who is struggling to get the best focus out of their DSLR:

1. 1. Know your focal points. If you’re looking through the viewfinder, you’ll see a number of squares and rectangles—these are your potential focus points when you’re auto-focusing. Some new cameras have upwards of 70. Horizontal rectangles pick out vertical lines (think: trees, doors), while vertical rectangles hone in on horizontal ones. Squares represent cross points—they lock onto lines that go in any direction. The center focus point on any camera is a cross point, and on some new cameras all focus points are.
2. 2. Focus first, then recompose. It’s often quickest and most effective to use the center focus point. Place this point over the subject you want to look the sharpest, push the shutter button halfway down, then recompose the shot. Be aware that camera movement at this point will result in blurry images. If the center focus point is nowhere near the center of the composition, you might want to try using one of the other focus points instead.
3. 3. Find a line. Auto-focus requires an area with contrasting features in order to pick out the best plane of focus. On a stretch of bare skin, white sand, or blank wall, it may not be able to lock onto anything. For this reason, the best approach is to find a line; typically for portrait photography, the eye is a good spot to focus on, while for landscapes, you might look to the horizon.
4. 4. Use the correct focus mode for your situation. For stationary subjects, there is a mode called “One Shot” (Canon) or “Single Servo” (Nikon), which locks on to a focus area. For sports, wildlife, or other genres of photography where the subject is in motion, “AI Servo” (Canon) or “Continuous Servo” (Nikon) will change the focus continually without locking.
5. 5. If in doubt, focus on the foreground subject. Humans naturally perceive things that are up close as sharper than those that are far away. If you replicate that approach by emphasizing an object in the foreground, your photo will likely look natural and pleasing.
6. 6. Use aperture priority mode. A favorite of amateur and professional photographers, this mode saves you adjusting all the camera settings from scratch. If you choose your desired depth of field and ISO setting, the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed for sharp photos.
7. 7. Avoid shooting in low light. Natural light or professional studio lighting guarantee clearer, better photos.
8. 8. Watch how you stand. If you are shooting with a deep depth of field (and thus a small aperture), the shutter will need to stay open for longer to let in enough light. The slow shutter speed means that any movement will be recorded as motion blur. To avoid shaking the camera, practice a stable stance with your arms locked to the side—or better yet, set up a tripod.
9. 9. If you’re shooting at a slower shutter speed, be aware of the limits of your hand. With a kit lens or a wide-angle, many people can take a focused image with a shutter speed of 1/30th to 1/60th of a second while holding the camera. A telephoto lens, which brings distant objects into close-up, will be more sensitive, so you might only be able to get away with 1/200th of a second shutter speed. Lenses with image stabilization can give you a leg up.
10. 10. Use a faster shutter speed for a moving subject. This is the time to deprioritize depth of field, or you will end up with very blurry photos.
11. 11. Use live view to help with manual focusing. Many contemporary DSLRs have a live view mode via a small screen. One good time to use it is while manual focusing—it will give you a good indication of when your image is in sharp focus.
12. 12. Consider post-processing. There are changes you can make after shooting, if you have raw files with good image quality. You can sharpen an image to bring out the details, although it’s not the same thing as focus. You can also try focus stacking, which essentially makes a collaged image from several photos of the same composition focused at different points.

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