Set it and forget it tilt focusing.

[Kirk Gittings]

I shoot a variety of similar subjects. Ground level architecture with a wide angle lens. Nothing out of the ordinary but I do it at night which makes focusing a nightmare on a f8.

In have been trying to mentally solve the focus game and think in have a solution but before I go wasting film I'd love to hear your opinions.

Hypothetically. If I were to go out during the day and focus to infinity, the furthest object in the distance I can see then tilt to bring the foreground into focus, then lock everything down and leave it alone. Would this not work to keep my focus from foreground to background on location? That is making sure nothing moves during transport.

And secondly wouldn't instill have a little leeway in composition from some rise/fall action?

My goal is to make the process as streamlined as possible so that I would just have to worry about composition and exposure not necessarily focus.

Thanks.

Hmmm, I've been a professional architectural photographer full time since 1978 (and known for my twilight shots-had hundreds of covers with them) and it is extremely rare that I use tilt as it creates more problems than it solves with objects like buildings sticking up opposed to the plane I have tilted to......what am I missing here?

[RodinalDuchamp]

Hmmm, I've been a professional architectural photographer full time since 1978 (and known for my twilight shots) and it is extremely rare that I use tilt as it creates more problems than it solves with objects like buildings sticking up opposed to the plane I have tilted to......what am I missing here.

Kirk. You have far more experience than myself I am sure your suggestion is quite valid. I am just starting out and don't have a vocabulary anywhere near yours so I appreciate your insight. I have been trying to weigh using hyperfocal distance vs tilt to focus throughout. I will take your experiences as a great piece of advice. Thanks.

[Kirk Gittings]

Ok I get it. FWIW I use long exposures and small apertures-virtually never tilt for architecture shots with anything of size perpendicular to the ground. I use wide lenses (usually) a good loupe and focus on the lit windows. I never do true "night" shoots but shoot at twilight.

[Robert Opheim]

I have shot a building at night before. -but is has been been a while. The last one I did with a painting-in method with a flash. Another photographer told me what he does. He uses a small flashlights and aims them back at the camera. He positions one in the foreground and also at the rear-ground area - stop down until they are both in-focus.

[Kirk Gittings]

FWIW I never use flash for light painting but halogens so we can see the shadows and such we may be inadvertently creating. Image one above is supplemented on the inside with our lights. Image two is almost totally our lighting inside and out except the railings (this was in Vegas and we went to Lowes and bought 20 shop lights). And the Su Casa cover (which also ran twice in Dwell and is on their website) is heavily supplemented inside and out by our lights.

[Taija71A]

___

Scheimpflug's (first) Principle simple states:

That in order for the camera to be in focus... Three (3) Fundamental Planes:

1). The Film Plane.
2). The Lens Plane and
3). The Plane of Sharp Focus... Must converge along a 'Common Line'.

--
However... Scheimpflug's (first) Principle is just a constraint.

In fact... Adherence to the Scheimpflug Rule alone does not assure focus
and most certainly -- Does Not assure that 'Everything' will be In Focus.

As much as we would all like it to be a 'Magical Solution' to our View Camera
Focusing Problems... It is only a Geometric Principle ('Nothing More and Nothing Less').
--
Cheers,

-Tim.
_________

[Mark Sawyer]

It must be nice to live in a world where everything stays on a two-dimensional plane of focus. No trees, no light posts, nothing from the foreground ever sticking up into the background...

[Taija71A]

... it is extremely rare that I use tilt as it creates more problems than it solves with objects like buildings sticking up opposed to the plane I have tilted to...

It must be nice to live in a world where everything stays on a two-dimensional plane of focus. No trees, no light posts, nothing from the foreground ever sticking up into the background...

___

Very well stated Mark!
--
Kirk too, wishes that all of his Architectural Projects would 'Stay In Focus'...
With just a 'Simple' Tilt.

But sadly, all of the Buildings that he has been assigned to Photograph...
Are not located in that 'Part of the World'. They usually still... Just 'Stick up' from the ground!'
--
Kirk, perhaps you should ask the Architects to 'Design' their Buildings...
So that they always 'Align' themselves... In the 'Plane of Sharp Focus'. LOL.

________

[RodinalDuchamp]

Thanks all. I believe my initial theory to be flawed.

[RodinalDuchamp]

Ok I get it. FWIW I use long exposures and small apertures-virtually never tilt for architecture shots with anything of size perpendicular to the ground. I use wide lenses (usually) a good loupe and focus on the lit windows. I never do true "night" shoots but shoot at twilight.

Beautiful work. Something to aspire to certainly.