# Dog (sports) Photography:  focus question



## Desi (Nov 19, 2015)

Hi all,

I've been taking some photos of my dog at the beach.  I'm pretty new to this sports type of photography, so I have a question about focus modes.

I'm trying to get a good shot of my dog creating a whole mess of sand exploding as she gets the ball.  To this end, I have someone throw the ball at me and I shoot the dog as she runs at me.  I shoot a nikon d800 with a 70-200 lens.  Single focus point.  continuous focus mode keeping my finger depressing the button as I track the dog.  I've noticed that most of my shots have the dogs mid-section in focus with her face slightly out of the focal plane.  

Any thoughts on getting improved focus?  Again, the dog is running right at me and fairly close (15-20 feet).

Here's an example




Exploding Sand by Desi595, on Flickr

Thanks,

Desi


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## Designer (Nov 19, 2015)

I couldn't read the EXIF or see the point of focus, so I'm only guessing.

Could be the DOF is too thin.  

What we know:  The distance is pegged at 8 feet from the camera.  We know the camera and the lens, but we would need to know the aperture when you shot.  We would also need to know the focal length of the shot.


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## JacaRanda (Nov 19, 2015)

Hi Desi,

More depth of field would/should help (F8 maybe),  and also you may try using more focus points to help as opposed to just one.  Not familiar with Nikon, but maybe this video at about the 2:35 mark will help.


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## JacaRanda (Nov 19, 2015)

Designer said:


> I couldn't read the EXIF or see the point of focus, so I'm only guessing.
> 
> Could be the DOF is too thin.
> 
> What we know:  The distance is pegged at 8 feet from the camera.  We know the camera and the lens, but we would need to know the aperture when you shot.  We would also need to know the focal length of the shot.



Went to the Flickr link - shot at F6.3 @ 200mm


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## Desi (Nov 19, 2015)

200mm at f6.3.  Not sure about the distance in this particular shot.  f6.3 because I wanted to get the shutter speed to 1/1000.  The focus point is central, the photo is cropped.


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## astroNikon (Nov 19, 2015)

^^ as Designer said.
But when I look at it your shutter could be slightly too slow for the flying dirt too

We need to see your EXIF or you can tell us your Shutter,Aperture and ISO

With DOF if your aperture is wide open such as f/2.8 your DOF could be too shallow to get everything in focus.  A way to understand this better is to use a DOF Calculator and on a fixed object get a measuring tape out and test your understanding. 

DOF ==> Understanding Depth of Field in Photography
calculator ==> A Flexible Depth of Field Calculator


Edit - you guys are fast .... before I hit Reply  lol


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## JacaRanda (Nov 19, 2015)

Desi said:


> 200mm at f6.3.  Not sure about the distance in this particular shot.  f6.3 because I wanted to get the shutter speed to 1/1000.  The focus point is central, the photo is cropped.



Because her head is whipping around, I would kick it up a notch and go with 1250 or 1600 shutter speed.  Go with F8 and set auto iso.


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## astroNikon (Nov 19, 2015)

I noticed the tail was blurry at the tip .. so I was thinking shutter


using the DOF calculator
Nearest Acceptable Sharpness:  5.85 meters
Furthest Acceptable Sharpness:  6.12 meters
_Total Depth of Field_:  0.31 meter = 1.1 foot


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## Designer (Nov 19, 2015)

O.K., I plugged in your numbers and got this:

Subject distance  8 ft

Depth of field
Near limit  7.92 ft
Far limit  8.09 ft
Total  0.17 ft

In front of subject  0.08 ft (49%)
Behind subject  0.09 ft (51%)

Hyperfocal distance  689.6 ft
Circle of confusion  0.03 mm

So the DOF being 0.17 ft. means it is *only 2.04 inches.  TOTAL!!!!*

So if the point of focus was the dog's mid-section, then the muzzle will not be in focus.  Nor the tail.

Boost your ISO and stop down a bit.


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## astroNikon (Nov 19, 2015)

Designer said:


> O.K., I plugged in your numbers and got this:
> 
> Subject distance  8 ft
> 
> ...


his first post stated 15-20 feet distance from subject


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## Designer (Nov 19, 2015)

Oh, I forgot to say: 

GREAT SHOT!


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## Designer (Nov 19, 2015)

astroNikon said:


> his first post stated 15-20 feet distance from subject


Yes, he did, but I got the distance while trying to view the EXIF.


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## Desi (Nov 19, 2015)

I think the DOF is adequate when she is moving slowly.  In this setting, she is moving quite fast and it seems the cameras autofocus is not keeping up with her.  I agree that stopping down would help DOF but would hurt shutter speed.  I still get quite a bit of motion blur at 1/800.  Not sure if there is a better strategy to keeping up with the dog.  I know Nikon has a dynamic focus mode, which I haven't tried using before.

Thanks for your comment Jacaranda, Designer and AstroNikon.  They are much appreciated.


Here's the dog at 1/800 second, f6.3, ISO 400, 155mm....just for fun.  Different day.




Marty by Desi595, on Flickr

I'm taking her back to the beach next week to try again.  Maybe just getting farther back will help with the DOF.  I can't quite predict where the ball will land, but one thought I had was to focus on the ball, rather than the dog.


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## JacaRanda (Nov 19, 2015)

Hmmm.  Can you just go manual, set shutter 1600, aperture to F8 and auto iso?


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## astroNikon (Nov 19, 2015)

Designer said:


> astroNikon said:
> 
> 
> > his first post stated 15-20 feet distance from subject
> ...


Yeah it is in there isn't it


Lens ID - 162

Image Number - 30986

Approximate Focus Distance - 10

He's using his d800 a lot too ... 30,986 clicks


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## astroNikon (Nov 19, 2015)

JacaRanda said:


> Hmmm.  Can you just go manual, set shutter 1600, aperture to F8 and auto iso?


His d800 will handle ISO well too.  I was going to recommend the same thing.


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## Desi (Nov 19, 2015)

astroNikon said:


> Designer said:
> 
> 
> > astroNikon said:
> ...



I was wondering how you found that.    I guess she was closer than I thought.  Thanks.  

Dang, I'm burning through my shutter.

I was trying to keep the focus point on her head.  But, on most of my shots it is the midsection that has the best focus.


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## Desi (Nov 19, 2015)

Thanks a lot for helping me understand this.   I thought 6.3 would be enough.  I'll post again after Thanksgiving when I get another try at the sand.


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## MichaelHenson (Nov 19, 2015)

Beyond what has been covered already I don't have much to add. Have you tried using back button focus? Switching to that has helped me a lot with action/fast motion photography because I'm able to forget about half-pressing the shutter button. I can just lock my thumb down, pick my focus point, and spray 'n pray...not really...but sometimes.


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## Desi (Nov 19, 2015)

MichaelHenson said:


> Beyond what has been covered already I don't have much to add. Have you tried using back button focus? Switching to that has helped me a lot with action/fast motion photography because I'm able to forget about half-pressing the shutter button. I can just lock my thumb down, pick my focus point, and spray 'n pray...not really...but sometimes.



I hadn't thought of that.  Thanks!  I'll give it a try.


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## baturn (Nov 19, 2015)

Both shots of the dog are pretty good, so you're close. Just experiment with the previous suggestions and show us the results.


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## astroNikon (Nov 19, 2015)

You may want to experiment using AFC-D9 - for Dynamic 9.  Since you have ONE moving subject that you want to focus on it will give you a bit more leeway in not having to keep the single focus point on the subject.

When I do soccer I'm in AFC-Single, in f/2.8 as I want to isolate one particular subject, not the person next to them, or closer or further away. This keeps my accuracy high.  But when I do single action shots (like during team photos so it's one person at a time) I make it a bit easier and go to D9.

Also the DOF may be different if the dog is running side to side of your position versus towards/away.  The dog will need more DOF if they are running towards you and close as their depth is more, versus from left to right.


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## JacaRanda (Nov 19, 2015)

astroNikon said:


> You may want to experiment using AFC-D9 - for Dynamic 9.  Since you have ONE moving subject that you want to focus on it will give you a bit more leeway in not having to keep the single focus point on the subject.
> 
> When I do soccer I'm in AFC-Single, in f/2.8 as I want to isolate one particular subject, not the person next to them, or closer or further away. This keeps my accuracy high.  But when I do single action shots (like during team photos so it's one person at a time) I make it a bit easier and go to D9.
> 
> Also the DOF may be different if the dog is running side to side of your position versus towards/away.  The dog will need more DOF if they are running towards you and close as their depth is more, versus from left to right.



Agree, that was covered in the video I posted; also in another thread not too long ago.  Trying to hold a single point on some things can be pretty tough, especially if there is not much contrast to lock onto.


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## astroNikon (Nov 19, 2015)

JacaRanda said:


> astroNikon said:
> 
> 
> > You may want to experiment using AFC-D9 - for Dynamic 9.  Since you have ONE moving subject that you want to focus on it will give you a bit more leeway in not having to keep the single focus point on the subject.
> ...


I didn't watch the video


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## JacaRanda (Nov 19, 2015)

astroNikon said:


> JacaRanda said:
> 
> 
> > astroNikon said:
> ...



Teehee.   No problem.  I was hoping it would help Desi or anyone with D800.   The cameras seem to really vary when it comes to focus point groups.


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## astroNikon (Nov 19, 2015)

JacaRanda said:


> astroNikon said:
> 
> 
> > JacaRanda said:
> ...


I missed that post entirely .. I was writing my own ...  LOL

In the video that camera is the d5x00  which has a totally different menu system but it should get the intuitive juices rolling ... or drooling ...


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## Desi (Nov 19, 2015)

JacaRanda said:


> astroNikon said:
> 
> 
> > JacaRanda said:
> ...




Thanks again guys.  I've been doing single point focus for a long time now but I'm kinda new to these action shots.  I'll definitely try the dynamic mode


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## JacaRanda (Nov 20, 2015)

astroNikon said:


> JacaRanda said:
> 
> 
> > astroNikon said:
> ...



Well gosh darnit.  I specifically asked him and google to show me D800.  So they did a bait and switch on me huh!  I need to leave the Nikon stuff alone because the entire video looked weird to me  .


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## Jim Walczak (Nov 20, 2015)

This is just my own opinion, however it's been my experience that dogs chasing a tennis ball...they're QUICK!  In many cases, the auto focus on even the most expensive lens out there will have trouble keeping up with them, particularly if they're moving towards you (or away from you)...and continuous focus doesn't do much good if the lens can't keep up to begin with.  Here's how I usually deal with it...

First off, as others have already said, try using a smaller aperture...f/6.3 isn't _too_ bad, but for a quick moving little dog, I'd try to get that up to the f/10 range (depending on your distance to the dog).  You said you're using a Nikon D800 so don't be afraid to bump up the ISO if you need to keep the shutter speed up.  The D800 has a good ISO range and with the likes of Photoshop and such, it's pretty easy to clean up any noise you may get with the higher ISO...don't be afraid to take advantage of it.

Second...try pre-focusing the camera on a fixed point parallel to the dog.  This works great at dog shows, however it can bit a little trickier with a dog on the beach (LOL).  I might suggest taking a stick (or something else) that you can put just out of frame, but parallel to the dog's path towards you...focus the camera on the stick (or whatever), have the person throw the ball to that same distance in the dogs path (yea...also tricky), then when the dog hits that point, all you have to do is click.  I've done this with my own mutts at the river or dog parks and such...I'll pre-focus the camera on a rock or something in the dog's path then click the shutter a hair before the dog passes that point.  It takes some practice, but can produce some really good results.

Third, instead of having the dog run towards you, have the person throwing the ball toss it so the dog runs _across_ your field of vision instead.  Fortunately when most dogs chase a ball, they don't (usually) tend to zig-zag a lot...they usually make a bee line straight at the ball.  Since I'm too lazy to draw a diagram here (LOL), think of a "T"...you're standing at the bottom of the T and the dog is running across the top "cross" of the T...it may not produce as thrilling a shot as the dog running towards you, however it's (usually) A LOT easier to focus.

Last but not least - patience!  In this case I'd dare to quote the old adage, "some days you get the bear and some days the bear gets you", LOL!  Seriously...I've had days out at the dog park where every picture is a keeper and I've had some days where I've just wiped the whole stinkin' memory card.  Perhaps the best advice I can really offer is simply to relax, have fun and let your dog be a dog...if you don't get the shot, it gives you a good excuse to take your friend out again .

Just some ideas to play with...good luck!


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## vintagesnaps (Nov 20, 2015)

I would suggest that too - dog running across your field of vision instead of always toward you.

Shooting sports (maybe this isn't technically a sport but I guess for the dog it is! lol) I usually use faster shutter speeds and smaller apertures. You might need to try f8 or smaller and at least 1/1000 or preferably faster.


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## Desi (Nov 24, 2015)

Sorry for the late responses.  I've been away from my computer.

Jim Walczak, thank you for those excellent tips.    I had indeed wondered if the autofucus was able to keep up.  I've considered focusing on the ball and waiting for the dog to get there.  I'm going to have to make a point of being further away next time.

Yes, it is easier with the dog running perpendicular to the lens, but the shot I'm hoping to capture is an explosion coming right at me.

Here's a shot I grabbed off my facebook (poor quality) but showing what I'm trying to get.




Facebook upload by Desi on Photography Forum


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## astroNikon (Nov 24, 2015)

You're using a d800 and a 70-200 lens ?
You should be able to AF with no issues.

One key is to not wait to press the shutter when you need the shot.
keep the button half pressed for the AFC (Continuous) to keep focusing (or BBF).
Thus when you need the shot you then press the rest of the way.  This keeps the focusing at a minimal travel for the lens.  It should work just fine with the proper DOF.


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## Desi (Nov 24, 2015)

Here's another facebook (poor quality) shot of her running perpendicular to the lens.  Same settings (I think).  I'll get out and shoot some more this weekend.




36970 by Desi on Photography Forum


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## astroNikon (Nov 24, 2015)

You should also review where you focused.

This may be an option you have to turn on in the menus somewhere
but when you review the pic on the LCD, press the up and scroll through the various WB, Color charts, etc and one is the area of Focus.
This will help you to focus better by seeing what you are doing .. or what your camera is doing.


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## Desi (Nov 24, 2015)

astroNikon said:


> You should also review where you focused.
> 
> This may be an option you have to turn on in the menus somewhere
> but when you review the pic on the LCD, press the up and scroll through the various WB, Color charts, etc and one is the area of Focus.
> This will help you to focus better by seeing what you are doing .. or what your camera is doing.




I'm glad that I asked this question.  All these replies have me thinking in new ways and learning lots of new things about my camera.    I'm currently deep into the D800 manual now.


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