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what can i do to make the DOF better? and why is it blurry on the top

AND bottom? shouldn't it only be blurry on one or the other?

Melanie... Better? I assume you mean to increase the amount of DOF? In this case you used f/5.6. To increase the amount in focus you could select f/8 or above.

 

And no, the DOF is a value on either side of the focus point, so you can have the foreground and the background blurred in some cases. Of course this varies with each lens. Here's a short video that explains some of the aspects of DOF.

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

yes, i meant LARGER DOF i guess! ;) i would have liked the bottom of the picture to not be blurred. but i think i tried a higher f/ and it didn't make any difference. maybe its the lens? i don't know. but i'm starting to think that the lens i have is not meant for the type of pictures i like to take. so i'll start saving my pennies!

Hey, don't give up yet. Try this site out and see if it helps... DOF Master

Mike

Nice photo Melanie,

 

Any lens that captures the same area of image will give the same amount in focus for the same f stop. A telephoto lens would require you be further back to cover the same area, but at that point the area in focus (depth of field) would be just the same as the lens you are using.

 

The more you stop down (higher the f stop number) the greater the area in focus. For instance if you are 2 meters from your subject and you have a 50mm lens, at f1.4 you will have only 8mm of the image in focus. At f22 you would have 500mm in focus. All lenses are subject to the same laws of physics when it comes to how much will be in focus no matter how much they cost.

 

By the way, I stopped to look at your photo because it caught my eye as a nice image, well spotted!

 

 

Thanks for the explanation Robert. I do appreciate the help. So, if i used a higher f/ number, then there would be less blur starting from the center and going out? so sort of like a bigger circle in the middle and the very outsides would be blurred?

Yes Melanie, thats correct. Also,there is usually slightly more in focus behind the focus point than in front of it. (I am one of those tragics that spends too much time experimenting with and testing my photographic gear). Still, the wonder of digital cameras is that you can shoot off a heap of shots just to get to know what happens when you change settings. I suggest you do that. It Doesn't matter if the lights not good, just use a high iso setting. You can delete the images once see the results.

 

I read somewhere that Women make better photographers than men because they tend to fiddle with their gear less and concentrate more on the image their after. I suspect there's a grain of truth in that.

Melanie,no matter which part of this photo is blurred I like it a lot.Nicely chosen subject,well composed,cool tonal.What else?Well done!

Regards,Irene

Thanks Irene. I appreciate your comment! Have a good day.