V1 Issue 1

Back
Button
Focus
Its BBF not BFF but it could become a BFF!
By Pete Rezac, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, PPC-M, PPC-S
Diane Costello, M.Photog.Cr., CPP
Greetings friends! I’m embarking on a venture
that I don’t normally do and that is WRITE an
article! Thank you to Lisa Dillon for the invitation
and challenge to write about a topic that I just
learned about a few years ago and that would be
Back Button Focus (BBF).
Many of you are probably very skilled and have
known about BBF for years and it’s probably now
become one of your BFF’s (Best Friends Forever) –
not that photography techniques can become your
friends…well actually, now that I think of it maybe
they can because this technique has changed my
way of working forever and I love it! You may be
asking why I love it so. It’s because this techniques
separates the two jobs the shutter release normally
does—first, focusing and second, shutter release
(firing). Separating the Focusing and Firing
functions essentially took me back to how manual
film cameras work. The lens will stayed focus until
I changed it rather than hunting for a new focus
point after each shutter release. This is particularly
helpful when photographing posed families with
small children. I cannot tell you how many times,
prior to learning about BBF, that I would be working
with a family with a small children and make a frame
only to then have something amazing happen a
moment later that ended up out of focus because
the focus and fire were on the same button and in
my haste, I missed it. So frustrating! I don’t know
that I’ve missed many moments since making the
move to BBF.
So you might be asking yourself or talking to me
remotely saying “Pete! I don’t do posed families—I
like to capture the moment as it happens”. How’s
BBF going to help me?” Well, for capturing moving
subjects, you set your camera to autofocus and
then pick a focus point (the wild puppy or busy
child) and then just hold that back button the entire
time while pressing shutter release as the action
unfolds. Your camera will keep focus on the point
you have selected and the shutter button will just
serve to fire the camera. It’s crazy how well this
technique works and it’s actually how I discovered
BBF when we got our new puppy 3 years ago.
BBF is particularly important if you use the focus
and recompose technique because once you get
your focus and then go to recompose, if your finger
lifts at all, when you click the shutter, the focus is
changed again. This is especially difficult when
you are trying to focus on a subject that isn’t in the
center of your screen—you know, using the Rule of
Thirds and all that. You focus on the family to the
right then recompose for a pleasing composition
but lift your finger slightly and then bam, the focus
goes to the background and your family is thrown
out of focus.
Ok so those who have not discovered BFF yet you
may be wondering “how do I set my camera up
to use it?” My answer is simple - YouTube! You
could look in your camera manual (if you still have
it) for it but it isn’t called Back Button Focus in the
manual—each manufacturer calls it something
different. Those that know me know that I’m a fan
and huge proponent of in-person education, but
in this case YouTube is the place to help you out.
Search for Back Button Focus and your Camera
Model. Chances are very high that you’ll find a
video of someone showing you exactly how to set
your particular camera up.
It may take a little time to warn up to the new way
of focusing and it is going to feel weird working
with BFF at first, but hang in there. You’ll reprogram
you brain and muscle memory and be grateful you
did! I adapted quite quickly and I noticed almost
immediately that my images were sharper. I can’t
tie that point to anything scientific for you to
research, but it’s my guess is that because there’s no
lag between focus and shutter release (no matter
how fast that maybe) that the images appear a bit
sharper!
So go give it try and thank me later when you’ve
made BBF your BFF.
Cheers!
Pete is a small business owner providing luxury black and
white fine art portraiture in Reno, NV. Pete holds Master
of Photography, Photographic Craftsman, and Certified
Professional Photographer degrees and designation
from PPA. Sits on the Board of Directors for Professional
Photographers of California and has earned the PPC
Master and Service Medallions. He also routinely provides
print critiques for the print competitors of OPPA.
10 • FOCUS OREGON
SPRING 2018 FOCUS OREGON • 11