Yellow Train Station, Cuyahoga Valley

[Karm Redland]

I've been playing with trying to maximize DOF. This is my second attempt at a picture using this landscape technique. In this picture I really like how the fence framed the yellow train station. I think it is somewhat "postcardish" but that seems to be in my blood.

Comments welcomed.

[Donald]

Karm - When you write, "using this landscape technique", what is it you are doing? Is it using the principles of 'hyperfocal distance'. That, I think, is the accepted means of maximising DoF, other than the 'rule of thumb' methods that are based on the same idea.

I also see that the EXIF data shows that your settings on this were 1/400 @ f 9. ISO200.

Given that the degree of Depth of Field is a consequence of aperture setting, I'm wondering why you didn't choose f11, f16 or even narrower with a compensating slower shutter speed. That would have given you a greater comfort zone in terms of DoF. Unless it was very windy, therefore requiring the higher shutter speed to freeze the blowing grasses, I would have thought this was a shot that could have handles a much slower shutter speed.

With all of that being said, I think this is a very lovely image. I don't see it as 'postcardish' at all .... although that is not always necessarily a bad thing, especially if you're a professional in the business of making images for postcards! I think it is superbly constructed composition. The fence, with the grasses and snow around it work perfectly and station building gives a magnificent focal point in the middle distance. I think you have given yourself a perfect angle on the fence. Some people might have shot it at right angles to the fence and that would not have made such an interesting image.

A real winner. Well done.

[Karm Redland]

Thanks Donald. I shot this picture using Nikon's AF-S NIKKOR 35 mm 1.8G. I used f9 to maintain sharpness. When I studied the various metrics surrounding this lens I noticed that sharpness fell off after around f4. F9 seemed like an appropriate compromise between too shallow depth of field (requiring a long hyperfocal distance) and loss of sharpness when this lens is pushed up to small aperture openings.

I did not use a tripod when I took this picture. For whatever reason, I have screwed up many nice pictures because of camera shake. I just find for myself that I need a higher shutter speed when I take photos without a tripod to get the sharpness I want to achieve.

Karm

[AB26]

Karm if it is "postcardish" it will sell. Nothing wrong with an image that sells - is there?
You get a thumb up for this one.

[FrankMi]

Although the brush in the foreground makes the scene a bit 'busy', it is an excellent composition none-the-less. This is one of those scenes where a tripod can move you closer to what you are trying to achieve as you can trade the higher shutter speed for a smaller aperture opening and the resultant increased DoF.