Modern autofocus systems are incredible. Subject detection and eye-tracking have transformed wildlife photography and made it possible to capture images like the one above that would have been incredibly difficult just a few years ago.
But there’s a danger in becoming too dependent on autofocus.
Your Autofocus Will Fail You
Autofocus is incredible—eye-tracking feels like magic for action—but it can and will fail.
No matter how sophisticated your camera is, there will be situations where it simply can’t identify or lock onto the subject you want. That’s why manual focus is still an important skill for nature and wildlife photographers.
Before autofocus, images like some of the examples shown here were virtually impossible. Now they are almost commonplace!
But there are still plenty of situations where even today’s sophisticated autofocus systems will struggle.
Common culprits include:
- Shooting through foreground elements, where autofocus locks onto branches or vegetation instead of your subject
- Airborne dust or fog that lowers contrast
- Falling snowflakes that distract the autofocus system
When autofocus can’t find the subject, so many people just throw their hands up in frustration, thinking the shot is lost.
It doesn’t have to be.
When Autofocus Struggles with Foreground Elements
Photographing wildlife through vegetation can be a real challenge for autofocus.
If you have reeds, grasses, branches or other objects between you and your subject, your camera may decide that one of those foreground elements is what you want to photograph.
Your autofocus will almost certainly struggle with this. Punching through all these reeds to grab that Sandhill Crane’s eye is a big ask.
This is where you need to remember that autofocus is a tool. When it doesn’t work, you have to work around it.
The answer can be very simple. Switch to manual focus.
Learn How to Switch to Manual Focus Quickly
You MUST learn how to do this quickly so, in the heat of battle, it is just a reflex.
All cameras are different. Many systems have a switch on the lens or camera body that you must switch over. On most Nikons, you can simply hold the shutter button halfway down and turn the focus ring. If you use back-button focus, simply don’t push the back button.
Take some time to find out exactly how manual focus works with your own camera and lens combination. You don’t want to be searching through menus or looking for switches when the action is happening in front of you.
Why Dust, Fog and Snow Cause Autofocus Problems
Foreground objects aren’t the only things that can confuse autofocus.
Autofocus often works using contrast to detect edges. Conditions such as fog and airborne dust can make this very difficult.
Autofocus often works using contrast to detect edges. Fog and dust make this very difficult.
Falling snow creates another problem. Instead of having a clear view of your subject, the camera has lots of moving objects between you and the animal or bird you’re trying to photograph.
Big fluffy flakes are simply too much of a distraction for most autofocus systems.
Of course, these are often exactly the kinds of conditions that can produce interesting nature and wildlife photographs. You don’t want to give up on an image simply because your autofocus system is struggling.
Practice Manual Focus Before You Need It
Don’t wait until something exciting happens to figure out how to switch to manual focus.
Spend some time practicing when there’s no pressure. Choose a subject in your backyard or local park, switch away from autofocus and practice finding focus yourself.
The goal isn’t to stop using autofocus. Far from it. It’s to make manual focus familiar enough that when autofocus does fail, you can take over without losing the photograph.
When Manual Focus Saved the Shot in Yellowstone
On the morning these images were made in Yellowstone’s Hayden Valley, when we stepped out of the snow coach, it was so foggy, it felt like we were standing inside a ping pong ball.
It was hard to see the fox, let alone get focus lock.
But once again, manual focus saved the day.
Manual Focus Is Another Tool in Your Toolbox
Modern autofocus is an incredible tool, particularly for wildlife photography. But autofocus is still just that—a tool. When it doesn’t work, you need to be able to work around it.
Make sure you know how to use manual focus on your camera and practice switching to it until the process becomes a reflex. It will save a shot someday for you.
We hope you enjoy this photo tip! It’s one that we’re reminded of whenever we’re photographing wildlife in tough conditions.
Good Luck and Good Light!
Steve and Nicole