New here! Kitty!

[Sillywife]

Hello! I am new to DPS and to DSLR. I just got my canon t1i a couple weeks ago and have been obsessed with taking pictures of my cat! Any help would be so great!! Right now I am just using the kit lens and trying to figure out manual focus. Here a couple of shots one taken through a screen door.

[Tito87]

Originally Posted by Sillywife

Hello! I am new to DPS and to DSLR. I just got my canon t1i a couple weeks ago and have been obsessed with taking pictures of my cat! Any help would be so great!! Right now I am just using the kit lens and trying to figure out manual focus. Here a couple of shots one taken through a screen door.

Are you shooting manual or automatic?

[Sillywife]

First one is auto and second one is Manual.

[Tito87]

Originally Posted by Sillywife

First one is auto and second one is Manual.

When you say that you are trying to figure out manual focus: do you mean that you want to know how much of you image will be sharp? in other words, are you talking about depth of field?

[ricklumpas]

you have a very interesting subject.
the crop on the 1st shot was very tight though.

[Sillywife]

Acctually I hardly cropped it at all, here is it - uncropped - I was just very close - would you recommend not being as close?

Here is the uncropped immage

[Sillywife]

Originally Posted by Tito87

When you say that you are trying to figure out manual focus: do you mean that you want to know how much of you image will be sharp? in other words, are you talking about depth of field?

Yes, this is my first opportunity to even try manual focus, I guess I am trying to figure out how to get the look I want, where to focus, and how to really get a sharp picture

[Tito87]

Originally Posted by Sillywife

Yes, this is my first opportunity to even try manual focus, I guess I am trying to figure out how to get the look I want, where to focus, and how to really get a sharp picture

Distance, focal length and f-stop are going to determine how much of your image will be sharp: the closer you are to your point of focus the narrower the depth of field will be, the longer the focal length the narrower the DoF will be, the larger the aperture (f-stop number) the narrower the DoF will be. So, if you want your subject sharp and the background out of focus-- set a low f-stop number, stand near to your subject ( if possible, get some distance between your subject and the background), and focus on your subject. For objects far from the lens, the DoF is two thirds behind the point of focus and one third is in front. At very close distance, the DoF is half in front and half behind the point of focus. Hope it helps a little.