I've written this post a couple times already on Flickr and other groups and I don't know why I haven't put it in the blog yet. Also note: I did not invent this method. I read about it and now I am passing it on.

Problem: got no remote but have plenty of vanity

Let's say you are in the middle of the desert and you desperately need to take a self-portrait. You have a tripod but you forgot to pack any one of dozens of inexpensive (or expensive) remote shutter releases with your kit. And there is no one around to take your picture. And, you don't have a stick, tripod or blow up doll that can stand in your place. How do you get yourself in proper focus?

Answer 1: Your manual lens has a distance scale

Aha well you could certainly just estimate the distance, close up the aperture so that your DOF is deep and shoot away.

But what if you don't have a lens with a distance scale as many modern lenses omit? (And let's say you don't have the card space to shoot multiple shots -- you have to get it right).

Answer 2: Read on

Follow this six step process:

1. Set up your tripod and roughly get your framing right. Of course, work out your exposure as much as you can and then don't touch that part of your camera.

2. With your framing set you also know roughly where you want to stand, so take your camera off the tripod, walk to that point and make a mark so that you know later exactly where you stood. Use tape, a rock, stick, whatever.

3. Turn around and point at the tripod head. Focus on the tripod head. Now, you have focused the same distance as the camera would be mounted on the tripod to where you are standing, only reversed.

4. Set the camera on manual so that it does not refocus.

5. Make sure the mark is correct where you were standing and walk back to the tripod. Put the camera back on without changing focus.

6. Set the timer and walk back to the mark. Since the camera is focused the same distance, you should be in focus.

Notes

-- Obviously, if you are looking for critical focus, this is only going to be only close. If you are trying to do facial portraits or anything requiring some precision, trial and error will lengthen your shoot. In my experience, it works pretty well for torso and full body shots.
-- Where you stand is only going to be as good as your mark. So decide in advance if that mark means you are putting your body over it or if that is where your feet are, etc.
-- There may be some discussion over whether you should be focusing on the tripod head or somewhere above or in front of it. Well, it's going to be rough.
-- This is going to be labourious as you will always be marching back and forth to start the timer so for godsakes, get that remote and what are you doing in the desert without a friend anyway?