| Point and shoot cameras can provide really sharp | | | | your camera to focus on a specific object in the |
| images if you use them correctly. But for many digital | | | | composition and remain locked on that distance until |
| images taken with a point and shoot, main subject | | | | you actually snap the picture. |
| sharpness -- or lack thereof -- is a real issue. | | | | To pre-lock, simply place the viewfinder focus point |
| Most all point and shoot cameras have an auto-focus | | | | on the desired object -- in the example above it |
| feature, which is really awesome... most of the time. | | | | would be your best friend -- and press the shutter |
| The lack of sharpness problems arise during certain | | | | halfway down. At that point you should see a green |
| conditions, one of which is when trying to shoot your | | | | glow in the viewfinder eyepiece that signals your |
| subject a little bit off-center. Shooting off-center is a | | | | focus is locked (if it glows steadily, that means your |
| widely-used practice that can add style, interest, and | | | | focus is locked; if it winks off and on or doesn't light |
| professionalism to an otherwise ordinary image. In | | | | at all, you need to try again). |
| blunt terms, shooting off-center can be A Very Good | | | | Now, keeping the shutter pressed halfway, move |
| Thing. | | | | your camera until the exact composition you want |
| A loose example of this is when your subject, your | | | | appears in your viewfinder -- in the example above it |
| best friend for instance, is standing off to either side | | | | would be when your best friend is positioned on one |
| in front of a waterfall, or an old covered wagon. | | | | side or the other of the image and the waterfall or |
| You'd like to capture both your friend and the | | | | covered wagon is roughly in the center. |
| background but when your photo is finished, your | | | | Next, hold your camera very steady and press the |
| friend is out of focus. | | | | shutter the rest of the way to actually capture the |
| That happened because the point and shoot | | | | shot. |
| camera's viewfinder was not placed on the most | | | | No matter what composition you're going for, it's |
| important part of your composition, which in this case | | | | always important to be mindful of where your focus |
| was your best friend, but was instead placed on the | | | | point is. Taking a moment to do so can save a good |
| background where it automatically focused. | | | | many of your photographs. |
| Fortunately, there's a really simple work around to | | | | Final tip: Once your focus is locked and you're |
| this problem that anyone who can hold a camera can | | | | keeping the shutter pressed halfway, the focus |
| pull off. Point and shoot cameras feature the ability | | | | won't change at all. If your subject moves or if you |
| to lock, or pre-lock, the focus at any point during the | | | | take a step forwards or backwards, your subject will |
| process of composing a photograph. | | | | not be in focus any longer and you'll need to do the |
| Basically, pre-locking focus means that you force | | | | whole process again. |