Help with Far away and getting in focus? DUCKS

So I was out today taking pictures om the walking trail near my house - I was out for about 2 hours or so - I think that I got some good ones BUT

MY Question is = There were a TON of Ducks - some great grean one etc.. Anyway I was working on trying to focus behind some trees and I could NOT Get the ducks in focus - a few might be okay but several are of the tree and Not the ducks - there were about 15 of them and I am SO Upset and was wondering what else can I do?? I changed from Manual to Auto - I changed a ton of stuff to try to get them in focus - they were Great by the way - Flapping their arms, just having fun and I MISSED it

I am pretty upset - on the other side of the water there were loons - there were about 20 of those but could not get close enough to them.

URGH! But had a great outing anyways.. BUT HELP PLEASE

Manual focus should have solved it for you. If they were at a distance, a tripod may have been necessary to hold the camera steady.
Also, depending on the temperature, shooting objects across water can tough. The evaporation from the water can distort the image and knock it out of focus.
How far away were the ducks?

Now looking back I think that i might have needed to have a longer lens - I had my 18-135 with my Canon Full zoom and in Manual mode.. but tried and few times with other settings

It was not a place for a tripod so I ddi not have that with me -

Thanks for the input - next time I will know

Possibly try switching to the center point AF only. In some cameras it will do a better job than the other points. Also with the other points turned off you don't have to worry about them focusing somewhere else. Look for a high contrast (light to dark) line at about the same distance as the duck. A larger f/# (smaller aperture) will give you more DOF for fudge factor.

I'm wondering if when you had the camera on auto it was focusing on a tree/branch or something closer to the camera than the ducks were. (I think you said the ducks were closer and the loons were too far away.) Then in manual with the ducks in movement maybe it was tricky for you to get focused on them.

Sometimes what I do is focus on something stationary near the subject, like focus on a tree trunk/branch, then reframe the shot to get the ducks in the viewfinder/screen. Whatever object I focus on would be the same distance as the subject from my camera. I haven't done a lot of digital yet but sometimes my camera keeps zooming and can't seem to get in focus so I switch it off and back on again then it seems to reset.

Or it could have been camera shake or slow shutter speed... maybe check the shutter speed.

I find that it's harder for me sometimes to focus with a digital camera than a film camera, I think it might be from holding the camera away to be able to see the screen on the back - I find that I'm holding the camera differently than I do my film cameras. With any kind of camera I don't use a tripod but have to balance myself and sometimes change my stance to help support the camera.

Were you in the wild or on a lake like at a park? Try throwing some bread out for them. Then get behind the tree and wait for them to come to you. Or sit still, keep the bread handy and shoot away.

Thanks - next time I might try that -

What lens you use doesn't matter, unless the ducks were really far away. However the lens does not matter for the ability that you could not get the ducks in focus. I think you are confusing....switching from auto to manual exposure vs auto focus to manual focus. If you switch to manual focus, then you would be doing the focusing on the ducks. Onto which you would be able to focus pass anything that was in your way and focus on the ducks. If you could not, it's because you are no good at manual focusing. It's ok, many photographers are not, which is why many stay with auto focus.

They were BOTH pretty far away but with the loons I was able to find a clearing to try to get them - i walked back but way too much trees and stuff to try to get it..

See there is a walking treail one side is a lake and then the trail (the road rail used to go thru) and hten on the other side is water also..

So It was full trees and stuff blocking the ducks = plus they were behind a little thing in the water - and on the other there were also trees and stuff blocking the loons - I at least got a clearning so I could try to get the loons -

MY Main issue I think was I did Not have my other lens with me - my Nikon 55-250 which would have been Much better I am sure..

I was using my Canon 18-135 lens - the other would have been Better.. I AM NOW Kicking myself for Not having my other lenses with me - I had both camera's wiht me but Not that..

I will try that - I did try Manual mode & I tried different shutter speeds, etc.. But I only got what was close to me in Focus - Well I got a few of the ducks but NOT good at all - They were SO great looking also a few brown & a few with the green heads and htey were flapping their wings etc URGH I should have known better BUT - Oh well.. I don't know if I will Ever get the shot again or be able to get it.. We are supposed to get a storm tonight - and tomorrow I was going to try a graveyard to try to get some different pictures

I am going to try to go out at least once a weekend to try and practice - I have NOT done lesson 2 yet as we have not had real sunny days... So waiting for that also..

I have an slr camera but have only used it once - should try that one as well BUT how many camera's can one take on a walk with them??

I was on a trail with woods on both sides and water on both sides So i was moving branches and stuff to try to get the shoot but you had to be careful NOT to fall off the side of the hill - It was rail road tracks before so now it is walking trail - so I guess to answer your question soft of both

I am not sure if they will be back - I might try it again as I don't have to go back to work until Wednesday but we are in for a storm tonight into tomorrow and I am not sure

But I do think that if I had a Better ZOOM With me I would not have the issue - I think that If I had the other lens I would have gotten the shot OR stood there till I got it.. Live and Learn -

I wonder when people go out on hicks how many camera and Lenses does one bring??

Oh well - I could not get bread to them - way too far away - but it was like the ducks were saying Come on take our picture - and I could not get it... BUMMER!!

They were PRETTY Far away and I am Not good at focusing in Manual - unless close up I am great at that - but far away I am not..

I go t afew of them but I took about 20 and maybe 2 or 3 were okay - but that is it.. Not great either at all..

the Loons were also way too far away for me to get - you can see little black things in the water -

I Would think that a longer lens would have been better - to try to get closer to them - the 135 did not do it... I MIGHT Try it again - some time

The ducks may not be in focus, but care to share with us the pictures you have taken?

LovePhotography wrote: I am going to try to go out at least once a weekend to try and practice - I have NOT done lesson 2 yet as we have not had real sunny days... So waiting for that also..

I have an slr camera but have only used it once - should try that one as well BUT how many camera's can one take on a walk with them??

You had problems with your compact digital camera? They often use a different type of AF than DSLRs, and it's usually not as good.

You don't have to go to the pond to practice focusing. Just step outside and find something about the size of a duck at the right distance.

no I had my two DSLR camera's with me -

There was a bunch of trees in the way and stuff..

I will do that but don't think that I can find the same way that was without going back to the same spot if no ducks or not...