How do I make the background more sharp in this picture?

[xantho]

Did I take the picture slightly out of focus? I realize that I need to straighten the picture out a tad but I was looking for advice. I feel like the tree-line isn't as sharp as it should be.

Thanks!

 

[thenikonguy]

up your ISO.. you shot this at ISO 100.. its a darker situation.. so try upping the ISO some.. should make a difference

 

[Philly101]

Were you moving? It looks like motion blur to me. In that case, you would need a faster shutter speed.

 

[RumDaddy]

Keep in mind, Im a newbie to this. But I thought the higher the aperature the more focused your background becomes. But Ive also noticed in dark situations it doesnt work all that. Kewl photo.

 

[musicaleCA]

1/125s f/7.1 ISO100 45mm (35mm eq:67mm)

If you're shooting at infinity, as I hope you are in this scenario, you can shoot at whatever aperture you like. The background will be in focus. Increasing your ISO will do you little/no good, as you already had a decent hand-holding shutter speed (unless you were moving quickly for some reason ) for that focal length. It should have also been fast enough to freeze motion in the trees if it was windy.

Sooooo, methinks you just missed the focus. Focus at infinity for landscape (well, most of the time anyway).

 

[feRRari4756]

its definatley the focus. just make sure you focus on the trees instead. If you have all 9 AF points enabled, then that may be your problem-- the bottom AF points may be focusing the water. Just select on the center AF point and then aim that point at the tree line, then recompose with the shutter 1/2 held down and when ready take the shot.

 

[xantho]

Thanks for all the advice. If you use a larger aperture will the increase in the depth of field be apparent through the viewfinder or will it only show in the final picture?

 

[Stormin]

It will only show in the final picture, unless you use the preview button on your camera. I'd say that it's probably located by the lens, but after that I am lost depending upon which camera you have.

 

[musicaleCA]

Thanks for all the advice. If you use a larger aperture will the increase in the depth of field be apparent through the viewfinder or will it only show in the final picture?

Depth of field decreases as the aperture gets larger.

 

[Stormin]

Yeah, but the aperture number increases along with the DOF. It's just an easy way for beginners to remember it.

f/16 is a smaller aperture than f/4, but provides a larger DOF.

 

[xantho]

Thanks for all the advice. If you use a larger aperture will the increase in the depth of field be apparent through the viewfinder or will it only show in the final picture?

Depth of field decreases as the aperture gets larger.

Sorry, I meant as the number gets larger DOF increases

Im still speaking in noob speak

 

[DScience]

up your ISO.. you shot this at ISO 100.. its a darker situation.. so try upping the ISO some.. should make a difference

ummmm.... why?

 

[burstintoflame81]

1/125s f/7.1 ISO100 45mm (35mm eq:67mm)

If you're shooting at infinity, as I hope you are in this scenario, you can shoot at whatever aperture you like. The background will be in focus. QUOTE]

What do you mean by shooting at infinity? Do you mean just shooting past everything and focusing on the sky? I am a noob so this may be the dumbest question.

 

[AUZambo]

1/125s f/7.1 ISO100 45mm (35mm eq:67mm)

If you're shooting at infinity, as I hope you are in this scenario, you can shoot at whatever aperture you like. The background will be in focus. QUOTE]

What do you mean by shooting at infinity? Do you mean just shooting past everything and focusing on the sky? I am a noob so this may be the dumbest question.

If you look at the manual focus ring it gives several distances that will be the center of the focusing DOF. Turn it all the way in one direction and instead of giving a measurement in feet or meters, it simply says infinity...meaning things in the distance will be in focus and the DOF will determine how focused the foreground is.

 

[burstintoflame81]

So you would not use autofocus at all? Just manual focus all the way out to infinity and then aim past everything and adjust the DOF so essentially the F number on your camera higher up ( example: F12 or F20 so on and so forth ) until you get the DOF you are looking for and everything will be in focus? The depth of field button thats on the Canon cameras near the lense...does that make your adjustments show up in the viewfinder so that you can preview? ( I just figured that this question reminded me of that button that I have never used and maybe this is related )

Thanks guys.