Antlers are what we call it when branches, feet or anything else appears to be sticking out of our
subject’s head.
Don’t know what I’m talking about? If you pull out some of your outdoor portraits, I guarantee
that you will find quite a few examples!
Here is why we get “antlers”...
When we are looking through the viewfinder and setting up our shot, we don’t notice them
because at the large aperture, the depth of field is shallow enough that the background details are
out of focus. Then, when we take the shot and the lens is stopped down to a smaller aperture, the
depth of field is increased and all that garbage becomes clear - ruining our photo.
While “antlers” are never going to be a problem in your macro photography, it is important to
understand that what you see through the viewfinder is not necessarily (or even usually) what
you will see in the finished photo.