Need your input on Sunset pics....

Hi,

I took these pics on NEX-5 18-200 e-mount combo at Rock Harbor, Cape Cod, Orleans, MA. Three of these look too sharp and one too soft. Please provide your evaluation as to how I can do better next time as well as how to fix these pics in DxO Optics Pro raw converter so that they will look better.

Thanks and regards,

Val

i like the second, focused on the shrubs with the bg oof. you might want to try vertical orientation and position the sun off to the side and less centred. also, a polariser will make the colours pop even more and reduce reflection off the water.

Hello, I think that 2nd picture is too soft due to AF. It focused to first plane, dark spike of grass. Close focus and lens' DOF resulted in lost of focus at infinity. Three others are sharp due to small aperture (f/10) and focus to long distance plane. In that situation DOF makes image sharp before focus point till infinity.

Ad DxO) You may always blur Your picture (with lens-type blur even), but efective sharpening is not an option. If camera doesn't take object as sharp, You are unable to remake elements of picture from unsharp state into sharp state. There is only posibility to enhance sharpness in cosmetic way.

best regards,
AqN

Hi,

Thank you so much for your input. I will appreciate if you would suggest the Fstop, the shutter speed and/or the focus point I should have used for the sharp images.

I could not find how to blur the images in DxO Optics, if you know please help. I can do it in Photoshop CS but I would like to do it in DxO.

Regards,

Val

Hi, about exposure (aperture, shutter speed, etc) i think You choice was correct, You only need to play with autofocus mode. I recommend You set AF to 'Flexible Spot' mode (and focus on different places to achive diffrent DOF and sharpness of picture) or to focus in MF mode. I usually focus in MF to achive best effect (or with flexible point mode, but AF speed with LE-EA1 and SSM is still very low) About DxO I check it when I got home today,

best regards,
AqN

I checked in my DxO, there is only Unsharp mask (for enhancement of sharpness) but not blurring filter I am usually using Lightroom to develope my pictures, so I agree, I sorry that I told something which got untrue

sincerely,
AqN

When I discovered the flexible spot mode this made all the difference in the world.

AquilaNauta said:

Hi, about exposure (aperture, shutter speed, etc) i think You choice was correct, You only need to play with autofocus mode. I recommend You set AF to 'Flexible Spot' mode (and focus on different places to achive diffrent DOF and sharpness of picture) or to focus in MF mode. I usually focus in MF to achive best effect (or with flexible point mode, but AF speed with LE-EA1 and SSM is still very low) About DxO I check it when I got home today,

best regards,
AqN

Click to expand...

--
Novice photobug, proud NEX-3 owner
http://davesnex-3photos.blogspot.com/

Very nice.

I would recommend trying some Graduated Neutral Density filters for shots like those.