Cat

[jtsky]

Hi,

Just read about Depth of view in the book. Took this photo of the cat using different aperture setting. Unfortunately, only 1 turn up acceptable. I try to focus on the left eye, some photo turn out blur on another eye with f1.8. The exposure parameters is f2.8, 1/1000s, ISO400, ev= +0.67. Try to create a 'bokeh' that mentioned in the book. Could I trouble you to give advice and recommendation for improve. Please help. Thanks for ur time.

[kruger]

Well, if your main purpose for this photo is to achieve shallow depth of field, yes, you got it. Bokeh is more of creating a bur, pleasant to the eye background, this will be more due to your lens construction. You still need to work on your composition.

[amosfoo]

dont see why you need to really read about DOF from a book, but yes you need to work on the composition. but i like cats though, so good on you man! ha

[calebk]

Originally Posted by amosfoo dont see why you need to really read about DOF from a book, but yes you need to work on the composition. but i like cats though, so good on you man! ha

Why not? There's nothing wrong with learning from a book.

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TS, I'd say you've achieved getting a nice shallow DOF, while at the same time ensuring both the cat's eyes are in focus, so good work. Next thing to do is work on composition at the same time.

Notice the cat is looking towards the left of frame, but with almost no "noseroom" or "lookroom" in front of the cat's glance, it is an awkward composition. Work on placing the cat on the right one third if it is looking towards the left, or vice versa.

[jtsky]

Thanks for ur time and advices. I started photography one month ago and know nothing about it. So I can only learn from web, frankly, so far I still think that CS is one of the best, it is amazing there are so many ppl here willing to help newbie with their hard-earn experience. Like chinese saying "Put money into other pocket". Another source of learning is borrowing photography books and magazines from library.
Thanks for the advice for composition, Mr Calebk, some terms like "lookroom', noseroom", They are "greek" until I read the advice. That is what I meant by putting money in other pocket.
Mr Kruger, Mr amosfoo, after I took this photo, I still feel very pround of myself that I finally produce something ok, luckily both of u point out that i can improve on my composition.
My difficulties is the cat is very active and got frigthen when I holding the camera in front of her. So most of my photo are off focus on the eyes clear on body. And it is quite hard to have the face facing directly to the lens. Could I trouble you to share ur experience. Thanks

[terryansimon]

Originally Posted by jtsky My difficulties is the cat is very active and got frigthen when I holding the camera in front of her. So most of my photo are off focus on the eyes clear on body. And it is quite hard to have the face facing directly to the lens. Could I trouble you to share ur experience. Thanks

if you don't mind me asking, how did you take the picture? did you just walk up to the cat with the camera in tow? doing that may scare the cat (or any other animal away) most of the time.

here are the tricks I use to hopefully put me on equal footing with the cat...

1) I get down to their level. meaning I squat/come to a crawl on my fours if I have to. this shows the animal that you are not as intimidating as it thinks you are (because you were taller than it but now you're at its eye level).

2) I move very gingerly to the animal. any quick sudden movements will cause anxiety in the animal and most likely cause them to run away

3) hold the camera in front of my face whilst moving. this aids in the no sudden movement rule, as if my camera was slung to my side, I would have to move it to my face and that in itself might constitute as a sudden movement.

4) making sure basic settings like aperture/ISO are already set. you don't want to be caught in a moment where you've got what you think is the best composition, only for you to tinker with the dials and the animal to scutter off thinking you're a nutcase.

5) befriend the animal if you can. this is especially if they are strays, and befriending them might give them the sense of security to open themselves to you.


hope those tips help. they certainly do when I stalk, I mean take pictures of the animals around my area/s.

[night86mare]

Originally Posted by calebk Notice the cat is looking towards the left of frame, but with almost no "noseroom" or "lookroom" in front of the cat's glance, it is an awkward composition. Work on placing the cat on the right one third if it is looking towards the left, or vice versa.

that is right.

viewers will end up following the cat's gaze out of the picture.. meaning the space on the right is useless. correcting this problem either involves keeping the frame and waiting for the cat to look elsewhere, or moving yourself to give a frame as suggested above.

that said, i think you can afford to go a bit lower, there is still a slight top-down perspective which doesn't quite humanise the animal here. on the bright side, the focus is right (on the eyes), there is no weird amputation of ears/important part of cat.. you're getting there!

[jtsky]

Thanks for the tips. i read that 'bokeh' can actually be created using large aperture or zoom lens. For this photo, I am using a 50mm lens with f2.8. Can I use the zoom lens to create the same effect? Because with zoom lens, I can shoot from a distance and reduce the chances of frigthen the cat. Hopefully I am not asking a stupid question here. Thanks

[nigel84]

can, you will be able to create the same effect, on a zoom lens, i can't reali remember the formula, but i think it should go at 100mm, f5.6. to get the same as 50mm f2.8... I think so only cannot remember. Can someone out there enlighten me? haha...

[calebk]

Originally Posted by nigel84 can, you will be able to create the same effect, on a zoom lens, i can't reali remember the formula, but i think it should go at 100mm, f5.6. to get the same as 50mm f2.8... I think so only cannot remember. Can someone out there enlighten me? haha...

http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

You must remember that your field of view is halved when your focal length is doubled, so there are many considerations to take. Subject to image plane distance also affects DOF.

The three factors that affect DOF are

1) Focal length
2) Focus distance (in most cases, subject to image plane distance)
3) Imaging medium (APS-C, APS-H, 135 format, medium format and so on)

[jtsky]

Originally Posted by calebk http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html You must remember that your field of view is halved when your focal length is doubled, so there are many considerations to take. Subject to image plane distance also affects DOF. The three factors that affect DOF are 1) Focal length 2) Focus distance (in most cases, subject to image plane distance) 3) Imaging medium (APS-C, APS-H, 135 format, medium format and so on)

Thanks. That is a fanstastic website, another good bookkmark.