Focus is an important artistic tool, directing your viewers into and around your image, but a technical challenge too. In this book, the first serious treatent of the topic in the digital age, John Neel shows how a mastery of your lens will greatly enhance the quality and 'wow' factor of your photographs. Never losing sight of what real-life photographers need to know, Focus in Photography will let you master bokeh and other focus techniques, giving you a complete understanding of optics-and what actually happens to light within the camera in your hand. Richly illustrated with John's own amazing images, and drawing on his well-known authority in the field, it will be a valuable asset to students of photography, enthusiasts looking to refine their art, product photographers and commercial shooters alike.

While focusing your camera seems like it should be a no-brainer—there’s autofocus, after all!—it’s often not a simple task. Depending on the shooting situation, your camera, and the countless scenarios that can “throw off” the focus, the task of achieving sharp images with great focus can be deceptively challenging. If you’re a passionate photographer eager to learn the best ways to achieve tack-sharp focus in your images, these 50 focus-based principles are exactly what you need to take your work to the next level. With photographer and author John Greengo as your guide, you’ll quickly learn nearly four dozen techniques for achieving focus in every shooting situation. You’ll learn: • How to optimize autofocus no matter what kind of camera you have (DSLR or mirrorless) • How to master manual focus • Which focus modes and focus areas work best for different situations • How to use your camera’s autofocus aids, such as magnification and focus peaking • Techniques to keep your camera stable, either handheld or on a tripod • How shutter speed and aperture affect sharpness Written in the author’s friendly and approachable style, and illustrated with examples that clearly show how each technique can help you capture great photos, 50 Things Photographers Need to Know About Focus is designed to be an effective, fast, and fun way to learn how to achieve great focus in your images—no matter what situation. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Focus Basics Chapter 2: Autofocus Chapter 3: Mirrorless Autofocus Chapter 4: DSLR Autofocus Chapter 5: Customized Autofocus Controls Chapter 6: Autofocus Aids Chapter 7: Autofocus and Lenses Chapter 8: Manual Focus and Lenses Chapter 9: Exposure Control for Focus Chapter 10: Advanced Focusing Techniques Chapter 11: Other Focus Topics

Taking good photographs of people is a combination of many factors: What is the best light for the subject? How should they stand? What aperture should you use for maximum impact? This easy-to-follow, highly visual guide to portraiture explains the technical and aesthetic considerations of creating great images. Step-by-step instruction, tips from an experienced professional photographer, project assignments and gorgeous photography make learning how to take good photos of people quick and easy. Aimed at beginners or amateurs toting a DSLR and wanting pointers on how to make their people photography really shine, this book offers the basics on composition, lighting, posing, street photography and post-production techniques in a fun andconversational manner.

This lively, informed defense of modern photography focuses on not focusing--and other unconventional methods that have been successfully employed by acclaimed photographers. From portraits to documentary images and from abstractions to landscapes, the author identifies 100 important images that are emblematic of innovation in modern photography, revealing the frequently complex processes involved in their composition. In so doing, she offers a provocative reminder of what makes a great photograph.