Mirrorless Camera News

One of the few mistakes that can totally ruin a photo is failing to achieve precise focus on the primary subject in a scene. There are a variety of camera settings and shooting techniques for increasing your odds of success, and today we’re going to concentrate on one of the most helpful.

Most of my columns for this website concern the ideas and purposes behind the photographs I take. I always include information about the technology used to achieve the photos, which could be as basic as the f/stop chosen to direct your attention, or the use of a ND filter to make a long exposure possible. That approach is not incidental or coincidental; the stories are planned along those lines because my ideas come first, and technology’s purpose is to support those ideas.

If you’re having trouble nailing exposure and ask a few friends for help, you’re likely to be told, “it’s time you mastered Manual mode.” While that’s certainly an option, there’s another (and often easier) way to consistently achieve perfectly exposed photos.

Back-button focus is a popular technique among experienced wildlife, sports, and nature photographers. The tutorial below demystifies this powerful focusing method and explains how to use it for faster, more precise results. 

Let’s get this out of the way up front: The old adage that, “you’re not a real photographer unless you shoot in Manual mode” is sheer and utter nonsense. Plenty of pros use Aperture or Shutter Priority depending upon the situation at hand. Feel better?

Are you new to landscape photography and disappointed with your results? If so, the tutorial below will set you straight. Even experienced shooters will pick up a few helpful tips for improving their images.

It’s can be challenging to achieve perfectly exposed photos when shooting outdoors under difficult lighting conditions with a broad range of tones from highlights to shadows. While it’s often possible to rehabilitate poorly exposed images during the editing process, wouldn’t you rather get it right in the camera?