OK we've got to face the facts here, autofocus doesn't <em>always</em> get it right. Mind you, it's pretty darn good, but your camera is a machine after all. Rather than get upset that you've a blurry subject and a perfectly focused background, it's more productive to learn how to use autofocus, the proper way.

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<div><a title="Sometimes we focus on the wrong things... by Images by John 'K', on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnkay/5483275185">[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="425" height="640" alt="" url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/OutOfFocus.jpg"]</a></div>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Sometimes we focus on the wrong things...</em>
Photo by Images by John 'K'</p>
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It's easy to expect the world from your autofocus, we tend to think that because autofocus is touted to be innovative and revolutionary that the camera sees things the way we do, and thus will choose the right thing to focus on. Sadly, it doesn't work that way. Using autofocus correctly is a combination of anticipation, patience, and practice.

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<div><a title="Autofocus mon amour 4 by _bruno_, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14817455@N00/85808533/">[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="600" height="449" alt="" url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/OutOfFocus2.jpg"]</a></div>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Autofocus mon amour 4</em>
Photo by _bruno_</p>
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So WHAT IS the best way to use the autofocus on your camera? Follow these steps, and with a bit of practice you (and your camera) will be focusing on what you want and nothing else!

First, point your camera towards the subject. Your subject should be in the center of the shot.

Second, press the shutter button halfway down. The camera will lock focus on the subject in the center of the frame. Many cameras will have an indicator on the LCD or electronic viewfinder turning things from red to green, or will illuminate a light on the camera to show when the focus is locked.

If the camera has focused on the correct part of the image (i.e. the subject), you can then move the camera to adjust what you see in the frame (as you may not want your image totally centered) and finally press the shutter button all the way down to take the shot. As long as you keep the shutter butter halfway depressed while you recompose your shot, your subject will remain in focus.

If you are not totally happy with the focal point chosen by the camera and would like to try again, release the shutter button, reframe the subject and focus again by depressing the shutter button to halfway again. You can repeat this process until the camera is focused on the part of the subject you want. This technique is not only great for photos of people, but it can be used for anything from still life, landscape, or even macro close-up photography. With practice, it will become second nature to use this technique…and eventually most, if not all of your photos will be sharp, clear, and in focus.