Struggling with Focus

[lisameowrie]

I am struggling with being able to focus in on dog's eyes, specifically when they're moving (even the slightest). Any tips or suggestions to help overcome this? In a majority of the the shots, if they're not perfectly still, my focus is always landing on their nose or some other part. I am already using single point focus and not auto.

 

[fjrabon]

more depth of field.

If your camera can do it, focal bracketing.

 

[tirediron]

Practice. A lot! You need to be able to anticpate (to some degree) what the dog is going to do. It's not easy, but is important. Until you get more skilled, considered using greater DoF so that the precise point of focus isn't quite so important.

 

[SCraig]

Your last sentence answered your own question.

 

[lisameowrie]

more depth of field.

If your camera can do it, focal bracketing.

Greater DOF as in greater distance between the subject and background? I am already doing this. I am out in huge backyards and it sometimes will pick up the blades of grass they're laying in rather than their eyes. It's so frustrating. I was thinking maybe because their eyes are so tiny sometimes with hairs in the way?

I'll have to look into focal bracketing for my camera. I have a Nikon D5300.

 

[lisameowrie]

Your last sentence answered your own question.

How so?

 

[Derrel]

The key is having deeper/greater/more depth of field. At close distances, depth of field is very shallow, very limited, and as such, it's often the case that what you want to have in focus can end up being not in focus. In fluid shooting situations, where things are changing rapidly, subjects are moving, where you're just trying to "keep up"....your new BFF is.... f/8. Or even those annoying twin gals,1 and 1, aka the f/11 twins.

"Stop down a bit" is decades-old advice.

 

[fjrabon]

more depth of field.

If your camera can do it, focal bracketing.

Greater DOF as in greater distance between the subject and background? I am already doing this. I am out in huge backyards and it sometimes will pick up the blades of grass they're laying in rather than their eyes. It's so frustrating. I was thinking maybe because their eyes are so tiny sometimes with hairs in the way?

I'll have to look into focal bracketing for my camera. I have a Nikon D5300.

No, greater depth of field as in either a more closed f/stop or being further away from your subject.

 

[lisameowrie]

A really good photo opportunity, ruined...

 

[lisameowrie]

more depth of field.

If your camera can do it, focal bracketing.

Greater DOF as in greater distance between the subject and background? I am already doing this. I am out in huge backyards and it sometimes will pick up the blades of grass they're laying in rather than their eyes. It's so frustrating. I was thinking maybe because their eyes are so tiny sometimes with hairs in the way?

I'll have to look into focal bracketing for my camera. I have a Nikon D5300.

No, greater depth of field as in either a more closed f/stop or being further away from your subject.

Ah! ok! I was shooting f1.8. Probably not a good thing this time. It will all click, eventually.

 

[Derrel]

A really good photo opportunity, ruined...

Of course that shot is ruined; you selected f/1.8. And got 1/4000 second shutter speed. The photo looks EXACTLY the way it ALWAYS will when those are the exposure settings at that range. Doesn't matter WHO the cameraman is...at f/1.8 from that range, the DOF band will cover...1/2 the depth of a dog's nose.

Edit: I see that in the time it took for me to type and for my stupid Wi-FI to drop/reconnect/drop/reconnect three times that you've already figured out the problem.

 

[lisameowrie]

I totally forgot about that.... you gotta learn these things somehow. Good thing, this is with my brother's dog and not with a client.

 

[Derrel]

At such a close range as that, the "shallow depth of field look" will actually look pretty great at f/8 to f/11! The trick is getting the eyes in focus, and also a good portion of the muzzle. The common mistake is to focus right ON the nose, the black nose part, but that wastes a small part of the DOF band that is in front of the focus point. The issue is, really, that at very close distances, which this shot is made at, there is simply not much depth of field, even when stopped down to f/8. At THIS close a distance, my ideal working f/stop in bright light is actually going to be f/16. ANd no, I am not kidding you. Forget diffraction worries--that's theoretical nonsense...the #1 priority is enough DOF to get a pleasing dog portrait. The longer the breed's snout, the more you need; on a pug, you could be at f/5.6...on a weiner dog, with that loooong snout, f/5.6 will not have the DOF needed.

 

[fjrabon]

more depth of field.

If your camera can do it, focal bracketing.

Greater DOF as in greater distance between the subject and background? I am already doing this. I am out in huge backyards and it sometimes will pick up the blades of grass they're laying in rather than their eyes. It's so frustrating. I was thinking maybe because their eyes are so tiny sometimes with hairs in the way?

I'll have to look into focal bracketing for my camera. I have a Nikon D5300.

No, greater depth of field as in either a more closed f/stop or being further away from your subject.

Ah! ok! I was shooting f1.8. Probably not a good thing this time. It will all click, eventually.

yeah, newer people probably shoot wide open WAAAAAYYYYYYY too often. Often one of the easiest ways to tell somebody who has just started with their first good prime lens is by counting what percentage of the time they shoot at that aperture.

 

[BillM]

Just because you have 1.8 doesn't mean you should use it.

I you were using a 50 MM f/1.8

Subject distance 4 ft
Depth of field
Near limit 3.93 ft
Far limit 4.07 ft
Total 0.13 ft

But the same shot at f/16

Subject distance 4 ft
Depth of field
Near limit 3.48 ft
Far limit 4.7 ft
Total 1.22 ft

For that dog and that distance I would have shot it at f/8

Subject distance 4 ft
Depth of field
Near limit 3.72 ft
Far limit 4.32 ft
Total 0.6 ft

This page gives you a chance to change settings so you can see the difference your aperture setting will have on the finished product.

Online Depth of Field Calculator