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How To Get Better Control of Autofocus

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IMG_0482cSometimes autofocus can be really annoying. For some shots it’ll focus on the right part of your subject, but then the very next shot it may choose to focus on something far and away into the background.

In a previous post, I shared a few ways to avoid problems like this, but I just found a new solution that I like a lot better: back-button autofocusing.

Here’s how it works:

Normally, your camera will auto focus when you press the shutter button halfway, but with back-button autofocusing, you have to press a button on the back of the camera instead, giving you complete control of when autofocus is initiated. [Read more…] about How To Get Better Control of Autofocus

Look for subtle features of your subject

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(c) iStockPhoto/Emrah Turudu
(c) iStockPhoto / Emrah Turudu
Do you ever feel like you don’t really see your subject until you photograph them?

Photography allows you to capture a seemingly instant moment of time, and observe it forever. In a way, the camera is almost like a time stopper. This may even be one of the reasons you originally got into photography.

After you snap that photo, and check it out later on your computer, you probably inspect it pretty carefully, exploring each and every aspect of your image. Sometimes during these inspections, you’ll notice an intricate detail of your subject that you never noticed before. [Read more…] about Look for subtle features of your subject

Guide to storing and backing up your photos (Part 2 of 2)

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allbackupIn part one of this article, Matthew Fletcher explained the different connection types for external hard drives, and compared three strategies for backing up your photos.

In part two of this guide, Matthew explains a few backup options in detail, and provides a few specific recommendations: [Read more…] about Guide to storing and backing up your photos (Part 2 of 2)

Guide to storing and backing up your photos (Part 1 of 2)

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Photo by Matthew Field (used under the CC-Attr-SA license)
Photo by Matthew Field (used under the CC-Attr-SA license)
Like toasters, cars and space shuttles, hard disks are mechanical devices that will eventually fail. Unlike most other devices, you cannot perform a service on a hard drive to prevent future failures. That means that all your images are sitting on a device that is like a ticking time bomb. The big question is: “What happens to your images when the bomb explodes?”

Having a backup plan in place is like having a bomb shelter. It might be inconvenient for a while but you will survive to live another day. Fortunately creating a backup strategy is much easier than making a bomb shelter. 🙂 [Read more…] about Guide to storing and backing up your photos (Part 1 of 2)