Autofocus Settings in Dog Photography
One of the most critical things you do when you take a photo is focus on your subject, and your subject is most likely a quick-moving dog! Unless you set up for a shot of Riley sleeping, use your camera in autofocus mode. Using autofocus allows for much quicker focusing and all-around better results.
Today’s cameras are so sophisticated that you can almost guarantee your camera lens has better vision than you! Your focus mode switch is actually on the side of your lens, not on the camera body itself. You’ll see two options — AF (for autofocus) and MF (for manual focus). Make sure your switch is set to AF.
You can access some additional AF options through settings on your camera body: AF mode (different from the focus mode switch) and AF point selection.
AF mode during dog photography sessions
Within your AF mode setting, you have three options:
One shot: In this mode, when you press the shutter release halfway, your camera locks focus once. This is typically your camera’s default setting and works wonderfully for still photos like portraits.
AI servo: In this mode, when you press the shutter release halfway, your camera continuously focuses on your subject. This setting is typically used when photographing action.
Not all camera terminology is created equal. If you’re having a hard time finding AI servo, look for words like tracking AF, predictive autofocus, or focus tracking.
AI focus: In this mode, your camera is set to one shot but automatically switches to AI servo if your subject starts to move.
One of the biggest complaints goes something like this: “My dog is too fast! Even at the fastest shutter speed, I just can’t get a sharp photo!” People get very emotional about this issue, but don’t worry —take a deep breath, stay calm, and know that it’s all going to be okay.
Nine times out of ten, the culprit is the AF mode. When you’re dealing with a fast-moving subject, getting a crisp photo can be nearly impossible because, between the moment your camera locks focus (at the halfway mark of pressing the shutter release) and the moment you actually release the shutter, your speed-demon dog is still moving.
However, your camera is focused on the position your dog was in a millisecond ago. To combat this issue, simply change your AF mode to AI servo so that your camera continues to adjust focus on your moving subject up until the moment you take the image.
AF point selection during dog photography sessions
Your AF point selection setting tells your camera exactly which AF point to use. To choose a specific AF point, do the following:
Find the AF point selection button on your camera body and press it.
Look through your viewfinder (or at the LCD panel) to see all the AF points lit up.
Slowly spin the dial near your shutter release button to see the AF points light up one by one.
Simply stop spinning the dial when you land on the AF point you want to use.
By default, your camera is set to “automatic AF point selection.” You know this because when you look through your viewfinder and press the shutter release halfway, you see all the AF points light up.
In this mode, you’re at the mercy of whatever your camera decides is most important to focus on (like the tip of Quincy’s nose instead of her eye). Remember to take back auto-focus control by choosing one specific AF point instead!
If you’re using a single AF point in AI servo mode, move your camera with the subject, making sure that your AF point overlays your subject. Otherwise, your camera will focus on whatever that AF point hits and not on your dog.
Dogs Glossary
A-B-C assessment
Checking a dog’s airway, breathing, and circulation.
Dogs Glossary
animal shelter
1. An animal control agency run by local government to protect people from animals, take in strays, and manage animal issues and problems within the community. 2. A privately run shelter managed by individuals who want to protect, advocate for, and find homes for animals.
Dogs Glossary
BARF diet
A method of feeding dogs as closely as possible what they would eat in the wild: raw flesh and bones, along with vegetable matter from the stomachs of their prey. The acronym stands for either Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.
Dogs Glossary
blow out
A twice-yearly shedding of a dog’s undercoat.
Dogs Glossary
blue slip
An application to register a purebred puppy.
Dogs Glossary
breeder
A person who raises, sells, and often shows dogs of a specific breed. Reputable breeders screen parent dogs in an effort to produce healthy dogs that conform to breed standards.
Dogs Glossary
castrate
The removal of a male dog’s testicles to render him infertile.
Dogs Glossary
clicker
A small hand-held device that makes a sharp cracking sound when pressed. Paired with a food reward, an effective dog-training tool.
Dogs Glossary
cohesive bandage
A stretchy wrap that clings to itself used to cover and secure gauze bandages without tape.
Dogs Glossary
come into season
The advent of a female dog’s term of fertility.
Dogs Glossary
dead ring
The stationary ring on a training collar that pulls on the collar, not the dog’s neck.
Dogs Glossary
double coat
Two layers of fur — a top coat of stiff guard hairs and an undercoat that serves as insulation.
Dogs Glossary
dropped ears
The term for hanging or drooping dog ears.
Dogs Glossary
Elizabethan collar
A wide, cone-shaped plastic or cardboard collar that prevents a dog from being able to scratch her head. Used to prevent further injury or hasten healing.
Dogs Glossary
euthanize; put to sleep
To kill an animal to relieve suffering.
Dogs Glossary
fall
Hair that extends over a dog’s eyes.
Dogs Glossary
feathering
Long hair that runs from armpit to paw on the backs of a dog’s legs.
Dogs Glossary
free-feeding
Keeping a constant supply of dog food available so that the dog can decide when and how much to eat. It works best in single-dog households where there’s no competition for food.
Dogs Glossary
heartworms
Parasites that live in dogs’ hearts and cause heart failure. They’re transferred through mosquito bites.
Dogs Glossary
heat
The period when a female dog is fertile.
Dogs Glossary
heel
A command and position in which a dog walks at your left side staying with you as you change direction or pace.
Dogs Glossary
hip dysplasia
A painful malformation of a dog’s hip socket. Some breeds are genetically predisposed to the condition.
Dogs Glossary
hot spot
A localized area of skin infection. It’s usually round, red, and warm to the touch.
Dogs Glossary
live ring
The floating ring of a training collar. Attach a leash to this ring for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
neuter
A general term to describe either spaying or castrating a dog to render it infertile. Neutering and castrating are often used interchangeably.
Dogs Glossary
pantaloons
The tufts of hair on the backs of a long-haired dogs legs that make him look like he’s wearing bloomers.
Dogs Glossary
pedigree
A diagram of a dog’s ancestors for three or more generations that lists the registered names of the dogs and the titles they earned.
Dogs Glossary
pinch collar
A training collar with interlocking prongs that pinch a dog’s neck when tugged on. Some veterinarians recommend them above all other collars for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
praise
A verbal reward for a dog , such as an enthusiastic “good dog!”
Dogs Glossary
prong collar
A training collar with interlocking prongs that pinch a dog’s neck when tugged on. Some veterinarians recommend them above all other collars for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
pulse
Normal dog pulse is between 70 and 120 beats per minute. The pulse of a puppy ranges from 120 to 160 beats per minute.
Dogs Glossary
puppy mill
A place that supplies puppies to pet stores, usually without screening for possible genetic defects or properly socializing the puppies.
Dogs Glossary
registration certificate
The paper certifying a dog’s registration with an accredited organization.
Dogs Glossary
registration slip
An application to register a purebred puppy.
Dogs Glossary
release word
A word that lets a dog know that she is free to move.
Dogs Glossary
rescue group
A network of animal lovers who rescue and find new homes for their favorite breeds or animals.
Dogs Glossary
reward
To give a dog a treat for a correct response while he’s still in the desired position.
Dogs Glossary
ruff
The long, thick fur around a dog’s chest, shoulders, and neck.
Dogs Glossary
separation anxiety
A condition in which your dog becomes anxious and stressed when you leave him.
Dogs Glossary
shed
A twice-yearly process of casting off the undercoat in a double-coated dog.
Dogs Glossary
single coat
A single layer of hairs that comprises a dog’s fur.
Dogs Glossary
spay
To remove of both the uterus and the ovaries of a dog to render her infertile.
Dogs Glossary
stripping
Plucking the dead hairs from a dog’s coat.
Dogs Glossary
titer tests
Tests that check a dog’s immunity levels to determine exactly which vaccinations are needed.
Dogs Glossary
top coat
The top layer of a double-coated dog composed of stiff guard hairs that tend to be naturally water-repellant. The top coat protects the dog’s skin and undercoat.
Dogs Glossary
training collar
A collar that enables you to guide your dog and to check her as necessary — a brief, sharp tug tightens the collar around the dog’s neck.
Dogs Glossary
treat cup
A plastic container filled with small treats or dog food. Shake it and give treats from it as a reward as you train a dog.
Dogs Glossary
undercoat
Fleecy or downy fur shorter than the top layer of a double-coated dog. The undercoat serves as insulation.
