Depth of field makes a huge difference in your dog photos. Basically depth of field refers to how far into the photo objects are in focus. Whether you want a shallow depth of field or a deep depth of field really depends on just what the photo’s all about; you might want a shallow depth of field for a portrait of your dog but a greater depth of field showing all the fun he’s having with other dogs at the dog park. It’s your call.
You can manipulate your depth of field by changing your camera’s settings and by zooming; we’ll go into all that later in the year. But there’s one easy way you can change the depth of field with any camera: change your position.
By moving in close, you’ll create a shallower depth of field, as with this photo of Tiki that I took this afternoon on the front porch. You’ll see that Tiki’s fur beyond her ears falls into a soft focus and the chair behind her (which is Tiki’s other favorite perch on the porch) is really in soft focus as is the siding on the house. If all that were in sharp focus, the result would be distracting.
This afternoon, I also shot this photo on the front porch, just minutes after the photo of Tiki. You’ll see that I moved further back from the dog cot. Nothing else has changed…not the light, the camera, the lens, or any kind of setting.
Suddenly the depth of field has increased. Not only is the front of the dog cot in focus but the back of the cot is also in focus and the chair, although it’s still out of focus, is far sharper than it was in Tiki’s photo. It’s all too distracting!
If you’ve got a good example of depth of field in your dog’s photo, we’d love for you to share it in the comments field below! Just use the + link in the comments and share the fun!
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