How to Focus When You are Shooting Alone?

[Pedro Nascimento]

Hello everyone,

It was my first time shooting this kind of video where I am standing in front of the camera talking.
It was a challenge to focus the image with no one on front of the camera because I was alone.
You can check on the beginning of my latest video about Rotterdam, the first 20sec that I am thanking everyone for getting 100 subscribers and 10000 views, I think the video was not really well focused.

How do you guys do it? How do you focus the image with no one with you to help?

Thank you

 

[Jawad Soomro]

the secret is you have to feel like YOU ARE TALKING TO AUDIENCE, NOT TO THE CAMERA!
The audience is watching u through the camera, so u have to talk to them

 

[Pedro Nascimento]

the secret is you have to feel like YOU ARE TALKING TO AUDIENCE, NOT TO THE CAMERA!
The audience is watching u through the camera, so u have to talk to them

This was one of the best things that someone have said to me about my channel!! Thank you so much!
It was my first time doing a video like this, and I will improve a lot now that I know this. [DOUBLEPOST=1423671338,1423671113][/DOUBLEPOST]

YOU ARE TALKING TO AUDIENCE, NOT TO THE CAMERA!

This tip is really good, but what I mean with "focus" is how do I FOCUS THE CAMERA when I am alone? Because if I let the camera in auto-focus the focus will change sometimes while I am moving, so I use it on manual-focus, and I can't be in two places at the same time, in front of the camera and behind the camera focusing...

 

[Stachu]

By focus you mean focus of the camera, right?

I'm not sure if Jawad understood you correctly.

If we are talking about focus of the camera then I place a chair where I'm going to stand and build a big tower of pillows and then set my focus on that. I'm sure it's now what pros do but it's working

 

[Jawad Soomro]

This was one of the best things that someone have said to me about my channel!! Thank you so much!
It was my first time doing a video like this, and I will improve a lot now that I know this. [DOUBLEPOST=1423671338,1423671113][/DOUBLEPOST]
This tip is really good, but what I mean with "focus" is how do I FOCUS THE CAMERA when I am alone? Because if I let the camera in auto-focus the focus will change sometimes while I am moving, so I use it on manual-focus, and I can't be in two places at the same time, in front of the camera and behind the camera focusing...

Oh hahaha... Lolzxzz all of my videos are focused by myself.. First I place the camera on tripod then I shoot my video for 15 seconds just to judge hows the video lighting and which point should be focused... Once I m satisfied... I shot many repeated shots and they r well focused

 

[Pedro Nascimento]

I place a chair where I'm going to stand and build a big tower of pillows and then set my focus on that. I'm sure it's now what pros do but it's working

Placing a chair with pillows is a nice way to do it, I will try that next time!! Thanks [DOUBLEPOST=1423672369,1423672203][/DOUBLEPOST]

I shot many repeated shots and they r well focused

Even by repeating the shoots until they are well focused, it is hard to se if they are really well focused because the camera screen is too small to look into detail...

 

[Stachu]

I'm happy if it helps

 

[Jawad Soomro]

Placing a chair with pillows is a nice way to do it, I will try that next time!! Thanks [DOUBLEPOST=1423672369,1423672203][/DOUBLEPOST]
Even by repeating the shoots until they are well focused, it is hard to se if they are really well focused because the camera screen is too small to look into detail...

Well since my phone camera focus didn't trouble me much so I'm always confident abt focus on my phone screen... Take several small shots, transfer that to PC and judge the differences.... That should be fine

 

[Stachu]

Phone camera have very long depth of focus (I'm not sure if it's proper terminology but I hope you know what I'm talking about), so it's very easy to do with phone. But with DSLR camera is whole different story.

 

[Pedro Nascimento]

Phone camera have very long depth of focus (I'm not sure if it's proper terminology but I hope you know what I'm talking about), so it's very easy to do with phone. But with DSLR camera is whole different story.

I do know what you mean. It is easy with the phone because you get everything on focus as you said the phone has a huge depth of field. With a DSLR you put a low depth of field so when you focus on the person you get the background unfocused/blurred and that makes the person stand out.