Thanks also for the tips on focus. I recently struggled when taking pictures of erratically moving street performers and lost a few shots from lack of focus. I normally use spot mode and haven’t really tried dynamic area mode. I will give it a go!

Cheers,

Eileen

Jonas .. I usually do note the techie details that I think are relevant. The actual focal length used for a specific shot on a zoom is usually not that pertinent, imho.

This image was one of a sequence, where I have the couple walk towards me. I shoot at 200mm and zoom tighter and zoom wider as they approach. Horizontal / vertical. I stand in one position, and also walk backwards .. or take steps to the side to influence my composition.

As they get much closer, I’ll zoom wider obviously.

When they get to me, I might show an image or two, to show what we’re getting. This is great reinforcement with my subjects that *this* is working and the images look great. It’s a huge confidence booster for them. Confidence in themselves; confidence in me as a photographer; and confidence in the actual session.

Then I might run ahead again, and have them continue walking towards me.

The point is, I zoom in and out. So the specific focal length of an individual shot here .. is, as far as I’m concerned, trivial to the whole process.

That I am working with a telephoto zoom, already implies that my approach will be one of trying to isolate my subjects against an out-of-focus background. For that .. 200mm (which I used for this image), or 135mm .. or 148mm .. isn’t of real value to me.

For me there is more useful information in the approach to the session, and in working with my subjects .. than there is in a specific numerical value.

That said, as promised in a previous post somewhere else .. if the focal length is pertinent or of interest, I will be sure to mention it.

thanks

Neil vN

Though when you refer to you camera settings in this, and most other posts on the blog I have read, you don’t mention at which focal length you are with your zoom lenses. I find it very useful information and would love to see it in future articles!

Greets
Jonas

PS: In comment 35 you do mention 200mm so I assume that was the lens setting you used…

Winston, I mostly just use the center point to auto-focus while in AF-S mode, and then lock-and-recompose.

The one AF setting that really helps with how fast my camera locks onto the subject, is Dynamic Area AF. (The center of the 3 positions.)

When I photograph a subject that is moving erratically, then I often go to AF-C mode (continuous AF), with the camera set to Dynamic Area AF.

Neil vN

Winston, even though they were moving, they were moving towards me. So it isn’t as if there is any lateral movement, or any movement that is ‘fast’ per se.

With a shutter speed of 1/500th and aperture of f4 there is enough headroom to get sharp images, even with the camera handheld at a focal lenght of 200mm. It was very windy, and even with vibration reduction I had to be careful to get sharp images .. but their movement was the least of the technical problems.

Then also, I am using the Nikon D3. It is a very responsive camera.

Neil vN

Andrew, for this image I used either ‘Photo-Pop’ or ‘Crisp’ (I can’t remember which of the two), at the default levels. I then kept the layer at 60% opacity, and used Soft Light blending mode.

Juuust enough of an effect to punch up the contrast and saturation and local contrast for nice effect, without being overwhelming.

Neil vN

Thanks for the insights into the complete flow.

David, I honestly don’t deal with the vignetting that the lens exhibits at wide apertures on a full-frame camera. In fact, I often add more vignetting as part of my post-processing of the image. (Currently I do this in ACR / Bridge)

I think the vignetting would be troublesome in many fields of photography, but in portraiture and wedding photography, it is much less of an issue.

You could always reduce the vignetting in ACR / Lightroom.

Neil vN