Something Aint Right

[Mount_N_Dew]

Something aint right. I would appreciate any help. The cat doesnt look very focused on and thats what i focused on, was the cat, yet the tree is more focused on. I tired to get BOTH but couldnt. And i meant to blur out the background a bit but, again that didnt happen? anyways to make it better? thanks

http://atlas.walagata.com/w/xlence/cat.jpg

[Mark Kemp]

I think you have explained it yourself - the tree is a bit sharper than the cat.

Therefore you focused on the tree, you may have meant to focus on the cat, you may have done your best to focus on the cat, but you actually focused on the tree.

It is what experienced photographers know as a bit of a mistake ( or an artistic statement if someone asks :lol: )

It happens to all of us - more often than we would like to admit - its pretty easy to do, especially when you are sure that you have the focus right and stop to think of something else.

Neither tree or cat is central, and I don't know how you focused, but if you used auto focus it probably gave most 'weight' to the centre focus spot and that seems to be lined up over some plants at the same depth as the tree - then with a wide aperture to try to blur the background you have slightly blurred both back and foreground including the cat.

[Mount_N_Dew]

What i did was initially focus on the cat and moved the cam, im guessin it looses its focus if you move?

[stopbath]

What i did was initially focus on the cat and moved the cam, im guessin it looses its focus if you move?
Focus lock is achieved by pressing the shutter release part way. If you released the button a little while recomposing, the camera would refocus. Also, you may have a setting somewhere which always focuses (for shots where the subject is always moving...) This would negate focus achieved prior to recomposing.

Check your cameras settings for focus mode (if it has focus modes)

[Mount_N_Dew]

Ya ill take a look at my cam.

And i believe i had it half pressed for the focus

Im usin the canon a80 btw

[stopbath]

Ya ill take a look at my cam.

And i believe i had it half pressed for the focus

Im usin the canon a80 btw
I don't think the A80 can continuous focus.

Perhaps even though you focused on the cat, the sensor picked up the grass behind it which might have provided better contrast?

Or it just couldn't lock on the cat, and 'defaulted' to some setting, which just happened to be the distance the tree was...

[Mount_N_Dew]

Thats not cool :S