kja Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Gotta disagree with the focus point not mattering. Focus on what you want to be sharp or focus and recompose so what you want sharp is in the plane. Learn to do it properly to begin with and you'll get where you want to go faster and not develop bad habits that are hard to break. 5.6 doesn't get a particularly big band of focus plane, depending on your lens and how close your subject is to you. you might get lucky sometimes and it might work, but I think her photo clearly demonstrates that shooting the side of the dog doesn't get the eye in focus every time. Even stopping down (to f/8 or f11 or f/13 etc) might not do the trick, though it might buy you more room for error . As pers has said - practice. Keep trying things. Look at the advice, try what appeals to you, ignore the rest. You will get there and find what works for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubiton Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 5.6 is plenty enough to get a horse head., jockey and butt all in focus side on in dark conditions. Dogs are smaller therefore 5.6 should be enough. Or Im just really really lucky when taking pics each week when its not so sunny. I have mentioned F8 should be used on a sunny day which is plenty for DOF for a dog(that will get a 3/4 on horse all in focus in the sun) Fast shutter speed is also important as dogs move quickly even just turning the head can be enough movement to blur a pic moreso than say horses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kja Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 (edited) how far away are you from the horse? what focal length are you using for a horse? how far away are you from a dog? what focal length are you using for a dog? I guess I'd assume mostly one was closer to the dog. Maybe not. That's why it's so important to practice and try different things to see what works in the conditions we shoot in. Unless you are shooting exactly the same gear and similar circumstances, generalizations will only get us so far. It's totally OK that what works for one shooter for one thing doesn't necessarily work for something else - it's all about a starting place. We need to remember that focus plane & Depth of Field (DOF - the amount of the image that is actually considered to be in focus) is determined not only by f-stop but also by focal length AND distance. So just saying such and such an f-stop should work just fine isn't the whole story and can often be totally inadequate and frustrating for a new shooter. sheena - this is one reason why it's so important to give as much of the number information as possible so we can troubleshoot and help narrow things down for you If you go to a depth of field calculator you'll see that using a 50mm lens on a crop body (like the OPs - and you can put in other bodies) and use it at f5.6 as per the OPs information earlier: At 3m the total depth of field is only .77m but at only 5m it jumps to 2.23m and at 10m it jumps to a whopping 10.5m. On a 100mm lens at 3m your DOF is only a measly .19m - at 5m it's .53m and at 10m it's a much easier to work with 2.5m. Got a 200mm focal length? 3m = 0.05m 5m = 0.13m 10m = 0.53m Crazy! Also remember that your DOF is 1/3 in front and 2/3 behind your focus point - helps with tweaking as you get dialed in. It might seem overwhelming and a lot to think about, but it does get easier - and it gets easier with practice You'll stop thinking about a lot of this in the front of your brain and it'll start to just be something that comes more freely. Like Pers said - practice, relax, enjoy, experiment and have fun I hope some of this helps Edited February 6, 2011 by kja Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 what the hell is the "circle of confusion" ? apart from what I am constantly in. Is it a bit like the "cone of silence" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 what the hell is the "circle of confusion" ? shrug.gif apart from what I am constantly in. I have no idea... the technical side of photography and I are not acquainted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 OK...so I know it is a boring photo...but I have tried focusing in on the eye, so much sharper face & out of focus rear end...is this what I should be aming for. ISO was 800 & sp 1/500. Obviously with a moving subject it would be impossible to focus in on the eye. Where do I focus if I want the whole dog to be in focus & is moving ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kja Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 (edited) Forget the circle of confusion Looks like you are getting your focus dialed in - great job! Building your skills on a stationary subject is a very good way to get a good foundation when you go on to moving subjects. It's not impossible to focus on the eye on a moving subject. It just takes practice and patience. Pretty sure almost all of us do it regularly - just check out some of the threads in the main photo area To choose the correct aperture to get the whole dog in focus you're going to have to experiment as it will be determined by a variety of factors, so there is no one answer for all situations: - how big your dog is - how far away you are from your dog - what focal length you are using You can get into the ballpark by using the depth of field calculator - you will need to jiggle the numbers until your total DOF is just slightly longer (so you have some room for error) than your dog. Obviously, if you are shooting side on, your depth of field needs to be far narrower than if you are shooting head on and trying to get eyes and bum in focus. Does the whole dog need to be in focus? Rule of thumb is that if the eyes/head are in focus then it is acceptable, and even desirable, to have the rest of the body fall outside the plane of focus. Again, this is subjective and not always desirable, but it is a general guideline. Edited February 6, 2011 by kja Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 I love your most recent pic! It's an obvious improvement! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 That looks better if you read the info in links provided it will help .. and keep on praticing - practicing is fun,and you have a good excuse for taking pics "learning" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kja Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 So how's it going, Sheena? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 So how's it going, Sheena? Havn't had time to do much else...but going on holidays in a couple of days & I have bought a tripod so I am going to try my hand at landscapes, birds & flowers, kids on bikes etc....not many dogs where I am going (I am going to miss my girl Just wondering, where do you aim the focal point if you are taking a picture of two of more dogs??? If you want them all in focus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kja Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Just wondering, where do you aim the focal point if you are taking a picture of two of more dogs??? If you want them all in focus. Focus is almost always on the most important eye. If you have a group try to make sure they are lined up in one focus plane - so not too far front or behind what you are focusing on. Otherwise you have to compromise. All of photography is a tradeoff and sometimes you can't have everything. Use a wider lens - lenses with wider focal lengths (24 instead of 100 for instance) will have a greater depth of field at a given distance. Back up - distance will give you a greater depth of field at a given aperture. Stop down - a smaller aperture will give you a greater depth of field at a given distance. Play around with throwing numbers in that depth of field calculator - it might help solidify some of the concepts more quickly. Take more than one frame - essential. Not only if you change settings but sometimes you just need a couple extra frames to make sure you nail it. Have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TangerineDream Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 I set the 550D on Sports (one of the auto settings) and let fly - so long as you manage to keep the object somewhere close to the centre you usually manage to get a shot - then sharpen as required in Photoshop....this was taken at 200mm aimed out the car window over my shoulder while I was still moving - I got 5 shots fired off quick smart and was delighted with this - I use the sports setting when stormchasing when we are driving and for Tango and birds and horse - it's sooooo easy and works really well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 What a great photo...thanks for sharing that Lots of tips to take on board from everyone...many thanks. As soon as I get to my holiday destination, I will be getting the camera out & practicing, practicing, practicing. By the time the fortnight is up I will be shooting like a pro. If I can get a fast enough internet speed I will post a few & you can make comment (hoping I can get internet) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 What a great photo...thanks for sharing that Lots of tips to take on board from everyone...many thanks. As soon as I get to my holiday destination, I will be getting the camera out & practicing, practicing, practicing. By the time the fortnight is up I will be shooting like a pro. If I can get a fast enough internet speed I will post a few & you can make comment (hoping I can get internet) Dont forget to take your battery charger. TD that photo is a beauty. I love wedge tailed eagles, I always get excited when I see them flying low, that must have been a real buzz for you, and to get that shot as well, wow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 (edited) I have been pretty slack with my promised "moving" pictures since I have been away...the internet connection over here is a bit slow...but here are a couple, please feel free to offer advise :D the first is of a bird that kept dive bombing us, so it was moving at great speed...very hard to get a focus on him The second is of a local spider which was bouncing around in his web....& had the bright sunlight behind it I have taken some lovely sunset photos & landscapes, but that is Cheers, Edited February 14, 2011 by sheena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 These wern't exactly moving but I took them on the same fast shutter speed & am rather pleased with the result Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kja Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 looks like you are having fun!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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