Mushroom on Kodiak Island, Alaska - Hyperfocal focusing

Amanita mushroom (bottom right) growing on Kodiak Island.  There were hundreds of them.

I used a technique called hyperfocal focusing to get everything in focus in the above photo.  The key to a successful hyperfocal technique is threefold.  A wide angle lens (28-35 mm relative) is a good choice, although you can achieve similar results with higher focal lengths with a small enough aperture.  I often use ultrawide angle lenses (less than 28 mm relative).  

The second factor is aperture, where smaller apertures will guarantee greater depths of field.  In the above shot, I used a focal length of 21 mm (32 mm relative) with an aperture of f/10.  If the subject was closer, a wider angle lens and/or a smaller aperture would be needed.  As it was, I could get everything in focus with the two parameters I used.  An APS-C lens has more depth of field relatively than its full-frame counterpart.

Thirdly, it's the point of focus that is important.  Focusing at infinity would render the foreground blurry and focusing on the nearest subject would do the same for the background.  It's important to pick a spot in between - usually 15-20 feet beyond your position works.  There is quite a bit of leeway on this, depending on the lens's settings and how close the near point is.

There are several ways to do this.  Without going into detail, you can ...

• use manual focus and pick your focus position manually
• use auto focus and lock it in (Single point focusing with finger halfway down on the shutter button) and pick an object an appropriate distance away.
• Use auto focusing (S) with a lens with a full-time manual override ring
• Use an old prime wide angle with a depth of field guide on the lens and rotate the focus until the infinity symbol (∞) lines up with the far right focus bar.
• Consult a depth of field manual/app and dial in the various values manually.

The photo was taken on Kodiak Island in Alaska.  There were plenty of different mushroom species, the one in the photograph is the Amanita muscaria.  See the photo below.

Amanita muscaria, also known as fly agaric, is a poisonous mushroom that can be fatal in large doses, but is better known for its psychoactive properties.  The fly reference is regarding its former use as an insecticide, specifically for killing flies.  In small doses, it is an hallucinogenic.  If you want to read more on its properties, click here.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericpix.com