Macro Shooting: To Autofocus or not?
Every digital camera of this modern age comes with an indispensable function known as autofocus. With this, sports or fast action photography becomes relatively easy for some models with extremely fast autofocusing.
However the convenience or advantage of autofocusing tends to disappear in the interesting small world of macro photography. The narrow depth of field inherent in macro shots means that it is almost impossible to get perfectly focused images from edge to edge, unless the object being shot is flat and parallel to your camera sensor. Furthermore, favourite macro subjects, for example a dragonfly, has undulating body contours that most probably can only allow you to focus on either its head or its body, and not its entirety.
Many new macro shooters often encounter a helpless sense of irritation as they discover the lens continually moves back and forth to get a proper focus and yet failing to focus on the correct spot. Maybe it is better to switch the autofocus off and use manual focus instead, giving you total freedom in determining which part of the subject should be in focus. This is critical in providing good framing, especially if the subject is off-centre for “Rule of Thirds” composition, in which a slight hiccup in focus (due to autofocus) may completely ruin the feeling of a shot.
Simply obtain focus by shifting the whole camera back and forth in a slow, consistent and uninterrupted motion or turn the manual focusing ring on the lens slowly while keeping still. For hand-held macro photography, always keep your elbows close to your body or lean against any strong support. Would be helpful if you practice smooth and calm breathing through your nose.
Manual focus is not as daunting as it seems, especially after you have taken some wonderful pictures of that cute little bug you chanced upon in Singapore Botanical Gardens! :)
