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Photography Question 

Debbie Groff
 

Problems Focusing While Shooting Landscapes


 
  Trying to Learn Landscape Photography
Trying to Learn Landscape Photography
Canon Elan 7 f/22 (Debbie)

Debbie Groff

 
 
I'm having the hardest time with landscape pictures. The photo I'm posting has pretty good focus in the foreground and background but the flowers are all out of focus. Could this be from the wind blowing?

The other part of my question on landscapes is even when it's just trees and land, I still have a problem with getting everything in focus. I'm using usually a f/16, f/22, f/32 but still get the far background out of focus.

All helpful tips will be greatly appreciated.


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May 08, 2002

 

doug Nelson
  What focal length lens are you using? Wide angles are usually best for this. Your nice, tight composition here looks as if it was taken with some sort of tele.

With any lens, and to a greater extent with a 35, 28, 24, 21, (with a 35-mm camera) much more of your image is in focus at small apertures such as the one you used. Try the hyperfocal distance trick, ie., place the infinity mark on 22 (if you're at f22) then read the scale. Everything from infinity back to the 22 mark on the other side will be in focus. Check out "the hyperfocal distance trick" on my web page. Also, this problem really could have been the wind blowing the flowers here.

I shot a lot at f22 and f16 with a 28 until I realized that at f8 with a 28, everything from 5 feet out is in focus (with the lens set to hyperfocal). I was, for many shots, forcing myself to use too slow a shutter speed, thus compromising sharpness, as I was too lazy to carry a tripod.


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May 09, 2002

 

Debbie Groff
  Thank you Doug for taking the time to give me excellent advice on landscape photography. I totally forgot about using f/11 and f/8 for this kind of photography. Will remember next time. Thanks again for the reminder and help.
Debbie Groff


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May 24, 2002

 
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