Except for the odd occasion where you deliberately defocus for effect (e.g. to suggest dizziness), you normally try to keep your main subject focused as sharply as possible. Anyone can tell whether a printed page is in focus, but you will meet situations where focusing is much less exact. When shooting faces, use the eyes (sometimes the teeth or hair) to judge. If necessary, rock the focus control to and fro to get the sharpest image. In longer shots, use costume detail for focus checks. Take care that you don’t inadvertently focus on prominent background detail, while your less defined main subject remains ‘soft’! It happens!
In most situations, we adjust the lens aperture to correct the exposure: ...
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