Faulty focus

[Brookmond]

here is the problem...When taking photos of subjects at close range, but not macro close, my camera will focus on the background, rather than the forground or mid-ground. It happens more in low light, but not exclusively. I am not sure if the issue is the camera or the lense, but it happens more often than I would like. I have a Canon Rebel XTi and use a Tamron 18-250 lense.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Brookmond

[RecurrentNerve]

Spot focus should solve it. AF does have trouble in low light but most cameras have AF illuminators that light up and help it work. Spot focus should help it work out where you are wanting the focus to fall. Failing that, simply use MF in those situations!

[cray101]

when you press the shutter halfway the focusing point on which the image will be focused (there may be multiple of these) lights up. This will tell you what areas will be in focus before taking the shot.

Focusing on dark objects, in dim lighting may be tricky esp if the background is better lighted, so try spot focusing, or better still, use manual focus.

[OsmosisStudios]

How close?

Even if it isn't macro, your lens has a minimum focus distance.