Dogs in the Woods

[nikkimorgan86]

Hi folks!

Fairly new to DPS and have so far had some helpful feedback on some portrait & landscape shots, but this will be my first Animal/ Wildlife post.

These are my 2 lovely dogs, Eddie & Lucy. They are both very energetic so I'm sure you can imagine they are quite difficult to photograph together.

This was the first time that I ventured out of my 'auto' comfort zone and shot completely in manual - I know that both dogs are not quite as sharp as they could be, any suggestions on how I could improve this? (bearing in mind that I'm only just learning all the technical stuff!)

And any other comments re composition etc would great.

Other than a very slight crop, the pic has not been post proccesed.

Thanks

Exif;

Canon Powershot SX30 IS

ISO 100
F4.5
1/60

[karen_s]

Cute doggies! I have two myself and know how hard it is to get them to sit still for a photo.

As you note, the focus is off. It could be a couple of different things. I might suspect camera shake or motion blur but not sure. I say that because I have found 1/60 to be too slow for taking shots of my dogs when they are awake. I go for at least 1/100 or more. I will raise the ISO a bit if needed. Raising the ISO to 200 might have been just enough. Also, make sure you are using proper hand holding technique. It's more important than you might think. This post is more a for a DSLR but some of the same principles apply ...

How to Hold a Digital Camera

Composition is ok. I would like to have seen all of the dogs bodies or less of the dogs bodies. It can be uncomfortable for viewers to see limbs cut at the joints and all. Don't know why that is but it is. Sometimes it's unavoidable but just keep it in mind for the times you can control it.

The perspective is typical. Not bad or wrong, just typical. I often go for non typical in attempts to make the shots more interesting. I am often on my knees or belly to get to their eye level, or even below. (I have been known to take shots by setting my camera on the ground and snapping a few without even looking through the viewfinder.) And, I sometimes stand on a fence or a ladder or the couch to get much higher. Anything really to get away from what everyone else does.

Exposure wise, you are in a difficult place. Black dogs are tricky to photograph and when they are up against a bright background like you have here, even more so. Cameras just can't do the same job as the human eye in managing exposure. So, it's great that you are exploring Manual because it will help you a great deal as you learn about how to compensate for different lighting issues.