Oh well!

[rpcrowe]

I was showing some dog shots to a friend of my wife and she said... "You think with a nice camera like yours, that you could get everything in focus..."



OH Well! What do I know

[Bobobird]

Yes, why is'nt it?

[Stagecoach]

I have also been told the same.

[jcuknz]

What did you say Richard? Or were you struck dumb

We photographers need to remember that having blurred backgrounds is just a photographer's thing ... however good and neccessary we consider it and the difference between good blurr and bad blurr.

Lovely photo of a great dawg

[Tringa]

I think some people believe photographs should be an accurate representation of the real world, or rather what they think is an accurate representation. The abilities of the eye and brain give the impression that everything in our vision is always in focus. It is not, but that view leads, I think, to the assumption that a camera, especially a 'good' camera should be able to do the same.

At least your wife's friend has looked at all of your photograph. We have all seen photos with a road sign growing out of someone's head because the photographer did not look at the background.

Lovely photo BTW.

Dave

[AB26]

Get yourself a lesser nice camera.

[tclune]

I trust you blamed the dog...

[Mike Buckley]

What a great look on the dog! It's saying, "Please get me in focus."

I have the famous print of the boy carrying two bottles of wine made by Cartier-Bresson. My brother told me that he didn't like it because it's tilted.

[Manfred M]

I had a similar, related thing happen to me. I was "working a scene" when someone came over and asked me what I was doing. I explained. I was told that I should have figured out how to take pictures before wasting my money on all my fancy gear....

Nice shot, by the way. Love those puppy dog eyes.

[RustBeltRaw]

Someone at a derby match elbowed me out of the way to take an iPhone pic. I had a brief, but powerful urge to grab his phone, toss it in the air, and smack it out of the window with my monopod. I gave him a few blasts of full-power flash instead. The photographer's taser.

[rpcrowe]

Another thing that I have noticed is that some (MOST?) people don't care a whit about a picture unless it has someone that they know in it. Then it can be tilted, out of focus, badly exposed and if it has someone they know (especially a child) vaguely recognizable; it is a great shot...

One of my guides in China stated, "I don't know why Americans shoot pictures without someone they know in them? We Chinese never do that!" And, looking around at people shooting pictures in China, that seemed to be true...

[Brev00]

We can judge the person who said but the truth for me is I felt the same way when I started shooting with a dslr. Why isn't the background all nice and clear like it was with my Kodak? It took me a while to adjust. First, I learned about stopping down to get more depth of field. Then, I started to really enjoy the blur of a narrow dof. It can be intoxicating, I found. More recently, I have been shooting more landscapes trying to get almost everything nice and clear all over again but in a more precise way (i.e., hyperfocal focusing). It might be just a matter of what we are accustomed to.

[Glenn NK]

Another thing that I have noticed is that some (MOST?) people don't care a whit about a picture unless it has someone that they know in it. Then it can be tilted, out of focus, badly exposed and if it has someone they know (especially a child) vaguely recognizable; it is a great shot...

One of my guides in China stated, "I don't know why Americans shoot pictures without someone they know in them? We Chinese never do that!" And, looking around at people shooting pictures in China, that seemed to be true...

My mother-in-law (God rest her soul) was the same - every shot of scenery had to have someone standing front and centre - it drove me nuts. "Oh look at the nice view of the valley - Glenn, stand over here". (screaming to himself)

I think it shows a lack of any knowledge (sophistication?) when it comes to photography (art also). Some get past this stage, but not all. Many people have good taste, but it's for food.

And the lady's comment to Richard about non-focused areas reflects this.

Richard: a very, very good image of the dog imo - it's really a portrait.

Glenn

[rpcrowe]

Thanks for the comments on my goldendoodle portrait. This is the shot I often use to refute the claim that you absolutely need the 70-200mm f/2.8L (series) lens for selective focus and that the f/4L IS model of this lens is not capable of selective focus. I shot this with my f/4L IS...

It is also the shot I use to demonstrate the smooth bokeh which the f/4L IS produces by virtue of its round aperture blades...