Attaining fast and precise focus is a prime goal for all types of photography, and there’s more to it than you may think. If your images aren’t consistently sharp, you’ve come to the right place today.

If you’re struggling with this essential task, it’s important to determine the specific problem before you can fix it. Are your images soft overall? Do you have difficulty getting the camera to quickly lock on to a subject? Or perhaps the sharp portion of the frame isn’t where you want it.

The tutorial below from Canadian wildlife/nature photographer Simon d’Entremont will enable you to diagnose these problems and more in barely eight minutes. Of course that’s only half the problem, and Simon also explains several methods for getting things right.

After identifying and solving your specific focus issues Simon also explains how to fine-tune camera settings and shooting techniques to make sure you nail every shot in the future. You’ll also see several really crisp images that benefit from his foolproof approach.

Simon begins with a discussion of the camera technology responsible for autofocus, which makes it easier to understand what follows. He also explains the distinctions between DSLRs and mirrorless cameras as pertains to achieving critical focus exactly where you want it.

Issue number one is making sure your camera settings are correct for the specific task at hand, and Simon provides a quick rundown. You’ll learn when it’s best to use One-Shot or Continuous AF, depending upon the subject and whether it’s stationary or in motion.

Another important consideration has to do with the level of contrast in a scene, and the necessary steps for low-contrast situations. Simon also describes how to deal with several other difficult conditions, like shooting in low light and when a subject is backlit.

Pay close attention because you’ll learn how to mitigate a wide variety of focusing problems and make them a thing of the past. You can find more helpful tutorials like this by visiting d’Entremont’s instructional YouTube channel.

Now that your focusing issues are resolved, we suggest you check out another tutorial we posted—explaining the best exposure modes to use when shooting different types of outdoor photos.

Bokeh is a popular topic these days, especially for those contemplating the purchase of a new lens. As you’ll see in the straightforward tutorial below, it’s also an imaging characteristic that can be manipulated with whatever lenses you own.

In this video from Booray Explains, an instructional channel that’s a favorite among Shutterbug readers, you’ll learn what the concept means, how it affects your images, and the difference between bokeh that’s considered “good” or “bad.” Even the correct pronunciation of the Japanese word ‘bokeh” is subject to debate, and instructor Booray Perry provides his take on that too.

In simple terms, bokeh describes the out-of-focus areas behind and in front of the main subject of a photo; or specifically, the quality of those areas. As you’ll see, the nature of bokeh is affected by several factors, including the lens in use, how many aperture blades go into its construction, the chosen f/stop, and other variables.

If you’re wondering, why you should care, this tutorial will answer all the questions in barely five minutes. Once you understand this basic concept you’ll be able to manipulate out of focus areas within the frame to make your primary subject stand out from surrounding areas—all with the most pleasing effect possible.

Perry explains that a key consideration is the shape of the blurry portions of a scene; in other words, whether they’re soft and round (good), hexagonal, octagonal, or another less preferable shape that can be detrimental to the look of an image.

One variable that’s easy to control is your f/stop setting. Here Perry says, “If your aperture is wide open, the diaphragm blades of the lens are retracted, thereby providing a round blur.” As you’ll see, this changes as you stop down—sometimes by even one stop.

Another key consideration is the quality of the glass in your lens, and there’s nothing you can do about that (other than buying a new one). But Perry does have several tips for making the most of what you have, and better images will result from following his tips.

There’s much more easy-to-understand advice on Perry’s popular YouTube channel, and we encourage you to take as look.

We also recommend checking out another quick explainer we posted awhile back on the concept of lens compression, and what this means for your photographs.

Spend enough time reading about photography, and you’ll come across the phrase “infinity focus.” It may sound like nonsense – how often do you need to focus on a subject that’s infinitely far away?! – but there are many reasons why focusing at infinity can be useful in photography. In this guide, I’ll introduce infinity focus and explain how to use it as a photographer.

I was a little worried about whether I would be writing this Photography News. This weekend I went to the Swiss Alps to photograph one of Europe’s most spectacular birds of prey, the Bearded Vulture. My plan was to camp overnight in a mountain valley at 2300m above sea level. During the night there was a blizzard with heavy snowfall. The tent could hardly stay on the snowy plain. But I love these little adventures when I am out photographing. Later this week, I will write about how the wait for the vulture went. In the meantime, check out the latest photography news from the week.