The Official Photography Thread - Vol. 3

W'sup everyone. Out of curiousity, how do ya'll adjust your focusing from a shoot to an event? ie. During a shoot do any of ya'll go manual? Or some people like to focus the middle point and recompose? And when you shoot a wedding, what focus mode do you feel most comfortable/gets you the best results? This obvi differs from photographer to photographer and from situation to situation but I'm sure there's some invaluable information and advice that can be shared that some people wouldn't have thought of.
 
W'sup everyone. Out of curiousity, how do ya'll adjust your focusing from a shoot to an event? ie. During a shoot do any of ya'll go manual? Or some people like to focus the middle point and recompose? And when you shoot a wedding, what focus mode do you feel most comfortable/gets you the best results? This obvi differs from photographer to photographer and from situation to situation but I'm sure there's some invaluable information and advice that can be shared that some people wouldn't have thought of.

In my mind, it would pretty much be insanity to take it off of autofocus, unless you know your camera is not focusing properly. I use a nikon, and the group autofocus mode is the best I have used.
 
^same. 99% of the time the new autofocus system gets it spot on. If you were manual with a fairly open lens you'd miss almost anything.

It would be better in the studio when the subject isn't moving but the DOF is so shallow with a wide open lens that I still think you'd struggle.
 
@DJYoung08
 man, your wedding shots are killer. Since we followed each other on IG like a couple months ago now(?), I love your stuff lol 

Thank you so much for the kind words :hat

W'sup everyone. Out of curiousity, how do ya'll adjust your focusing from a shoot to an event? ie. During a shoot do any of ya'll go manual? Or some people like to focus the middle point and recompose? And when you shoot a wedding, what focus mode do you feel most comfortable/gets you the best results? This obvi differs from photographer to photographer and from situation to situation but I'm sure there's some invaluable information and advice that can be shared that some people wouldn't have thought of.

I exclusively shoot single point AF in ever circumstance except for one.

When i shoot macro, sometimes i adjust the focus manually because when you're OD close and there isnt a lot of contrast on your focal point it can be tough and the lens fishes really hard.

Other than that one extremely rare scenario i am in single point AF.

when I shoot more shallow than 2.8, I do not recompose and it changes the focal plane by tilting the camera. When I shoot f/1.2 its more important for me to get an image in focus that I can crop vs getting a compositionally correct image that has no critical focus.
 
I have still yet to master it but AI servo and back button focus is a good way to shoot stuff. Honestly my shots are always a hit and miss but with cameras with better autofocus system this technique can be proven good to shoot for say weddings.

I use manual if any strictly for landscapes. I use live mode and just manual focus while zooming in on the subject I am shooting. Autofocus though usually gets is right most of the time though.
 
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Thank you so much for the kind words
pimp.gif

I exclusively shoot single point AF in ever circumstance except for one.

When i shoot macro, sometimes i adjust the focus manually because when you're OD close and there isnt a lot of contrast on your focal point it can be tough and the lens fishes really hard.

Other than that one extremely rare scenario i am in single point AF.

when I shoot more shallow than 2.8, I do not recompose and it changes the focal plane by tilting the camera. When I shoot f/1.2 its more important for me to get an image in focus that I can crop vs getting a compositionally correct image that has no critical focus.
When you shoot groups you don't close up your aperture?
 
^^^^^^If you shoot with a longer lens, it does seem to be a little more forgiving when shooting groups of people rather than a shorter lens. I would still shoot like f/4 and up but I think you can get away with shooting lower as long as the group of people are all in the same distance to the camera.
 
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Thank you so much for the kind words :hat

I exclusively shoot single point AF in ever circumstance except for one.


When i shoot macro, sometimes i adjust the focus manually because when you're OD close and there isnt a lot of contrast on your focal point it can be tough and the lens fishes really hard.


Other than that one extremely rare scenario i am in single point AF.


when I shoot more shallow than 2.8, I do not recompose and it changes the focal plane by tilting the camera. When I shoot f/1.2 its more important for me to get an image in focus that I can crop vs getting a compositionally correct image that has no critical focus.

When you shoot groups you don't close up your aperture?

Yeah my f stop changes depending on what depth i need.

I rarely shoot groups that exceed 1 row of people.

Also, when you have a wider focal length the depth of field plane is a lot deeper. 35mm f/1.4 =/= 105mm f/1.4.

For family pictures I usually hover around f/2.8 - 4. If a multi row group is involved i will pick the f/ stop accordingly. Usually around f/6.3 or so.
 
Going to be shooting some photos of a couple that's getting married next month over the weekend for a friend. I have no idea what I'm doing but so far I've been looking at photos from djyoung08 djyoung08 & @ksteezy for some inspiration/poses
 
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Going to be shooting some photos of a couple that's getting married next month over the weekend for a friend. I have no idea what I'm doing but so far I've been looking at photos from djyoung08 djyoung08 & ks@ksteezy for some inspiration/poses

Stick to ksteezy. I admire his work so much it aint even funny

i have such little experience :rollin... dont me mentioning my name w/ his unless its what not to do
 
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Hey NT fam, so on June 18 I am traveling to Beijing China, with that in mind, what spots must I check out?

Sneaker stores, clothing shops, or any dope photography spots?

Hit me up with a list? 
 
^ shoes in china are much more expensive than the states, when it comes to the brand names. Pray for clear weather, and head to the Great Wall. My favorite spot to take picture at the Great Wall is here:

Jinshan Ridge Great Wall
Luanping, Chengde, Hebei, China
+86 314 883 0222
https://goo.gl/maps/dwDN9z75rpm
 
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Do you guys mind critiquing my latest edit? I've been shooting more lately and I'm loving the editing process.

Before

After
 
^ shoes in china are much more expensive than the states, when it comes to the brand names. Pray for clear weather, and head to the Great Wall. My favorite spot to take picture at the Great Wall is here:

Jinshan Ridge Great Wall
Luanping, Chengde, Hebei, China
+86 314 883 0222
https://goo.gl/maps/dwDN9z75rpm
I was expecting for sneakers to be cheaper since most are manufactured in China, bummer. Will be checking out the great wall for sure bro thanks. 
 
^ there is government tax on any foreign brand, and it is around 20%. If you want legitimate shoes, they will be much more expensive (and shoes rarely go on sale there). If you want knock offs or something along those lines, those can be found extremely cheap.

Pretty much any brand name good will be significantly more expensive there.
 
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