What would you do

I took this photo with a 28mm lens at f11, 1/60 ISO3200. I like the composition but the building in the background aren't that sharp in the full res image.

I think ISO 3200 is the limit I would want to push the 6D, and same with 1/60 second so f11 is the only choice.

It could be a case of taking it in better light or would a wider lens give more depth of field but still a suitable composition? Perhaps focus stacking?

I would have walked further along the south bank from Canon street bridge to Tower Bridge (with a very distinct, iconic shape, framed a similar shot but got lower to be more in line with the dog and shot a wide aperture like F2.8 to make the dog the subject and the bridge nicely out of focus but recognisable.....

Only slight problem is there is no railing there so the dog might fall in the Thames!

Barry Reynolds wrote:

I took this photo with a 28mm lens at f11, 1/60 ISO3200. I like the composition but the building in the background aren't that sharp in the full res image.

I think ISO 3200 is the limit I would want to push the 6D, and same with 1/60 second so f11 is the only choice.

It could be a case of taking it in better light or would a wider lens give more depth of field but still a suitable composition? Perhaps focus stacking?

Hello Barry,

Photo works for me, nice composition, nice dog

Maybe not very sharp, but still a nice pic

Also have the old but faithful 6D .. nice for portraits and also low light

I take it you have the EF 28mm F/1.8 non-IS version.. and not the EF 28mm F/2.8 USM IS version

Rgds, Gaul

Thanks. I've got the 28mm IS USM. For black and white I don't like to have blurred background, or certainly not blown out at f2, but for colour I like that.

The 28mm IS is very sharp but it probably doesn't show here. I've tried focus stacking and that seems to be the answer by taking 3 shots whilst moving the focus so the foreground, mid and background are in focus (3 shots) then merge them.

I tried this hand held and it came out very good. The lens is very sharp at f2.8 but even better at f4 which I'd prefer to shoot at.

He's ok without the railing, he's use to walking across bridges with high walls as he grew up in the Alps so height doesn't worry him.

I work near London bridge so I'm trying to find better spots but just trying out scenes now so I can get everything in focus. I prefer the details in Black and White to all be in focus, of light bokeh as I think the details in the background add to the image where as in colour they can be a distraction.

I take thousands of shots with Murray in locations all around Europe. The 28mm lens is great and there are many possibilities such as creating panoramas, focus stacking or using low shutter speeds such as 1/15 or 1/30 which I'd never normally use. I can't always choose the location as it's more taking what I see as I walk around.

The boat was intentional with his head between the bridge spans and trying to capture new (boat), industrial (bridge), modern city (sky scrapers) and the old (church type building - thinking about it now, they may be one of my web design clients)

The image is cropped for instagram but I'm trying to not crop vertically, although it has a slight vertical crop.

London is very buy so it's trying to get the details in as best I can to a composition but it still needs work.

I've just bought a monopod so that should help with focus stacking.

I can see the lights in the buildings so this must have been taken at dusk, so a lot to ask for a photograph.

Given this exact situation the only thing you can do is focus stack which will work extremely well. Focus on the dog, and then maybe three more images working your way to infinity.

Otherwise, wait for daylight and use f22 to f32. With rear view magnification and the stop down button you can determine which focus distance and aperture will get everything in focus. You might get away with 1/30s with that lens. Get ISO as low as possible.

If you want to do it at dusk/dawn you will need a tripod. If the dog is reasonably still you can get down to 1/20, f22, lowest ISO possible.

Ultimately focus stacking will be easiest.

P.S. Since I know now that you have IS, you should be able to get down to 1/20, to get to f19.  This is what IS was meant for.

the sharpness of the background doesn't worry me as much as the bow of the boat on the left side of the image.

To my eye the boat seems to unbalance the composition - it impinges on the dog  - takes my eye away from the dog's face

I would clone out the boat or retake the image when the water is clear of traffic

Peter