Focus and Exposure

When setting up for a specific shot, one of the most important things to adjust on the camera is the focus and exposure. These two settings are critical because they can either make your shot look great if done correctly, or horrible if done incorrectly. The focus on a camera is normally manually controlled with a ring on the lens of the camera. Turning the ring clockwise will give the image a tighter focus, while turning it counter clockwise gives a more distant focus. When adjusting your focus, you know your subject is in focus when they're sharper than the background; however, if the subject moves closer or further, the camera will lose its focus. Exposure is another setting to keep a close eye on when shooting. Exposure adjusts the amount of light being let into the camera. Adjusting this ring opens and closes an iris inside the cameras lens, letting in or blocking out light. When trying to get the right exposure, adjust the ring until the subject is not too dark, but also not too bright. When shooting a scene, these two settings are some of the most important things a camera operator needs to adjust.