Image too sharp

[Jack56]

Hi all,

I made this photo with my 5dIII and 16-35 II f/4 lens, 16 sec exposure and aperture f/13.
I like the photo, but I think the two stones (the standing and the lying one) are too sharp (I mean the contours).
Do you think I am right and if so, how can I avoid this?

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

At f/13, you have already traded some sharpness for depth of field. You can blur the edges in Photoshop, in Lightroom, there is a brush and a blur function. Most other software has the same capabilities.

I think the images is fine, maybe you want a foggy or misty effect? That will result in a appearance of less sharpness.

 

[Jack56]

Thanks for your respond! For me, the stones stand out too much of the background. Do you know what I mean? I've got the idea that the image now looses some atmosphere. But maybe I am wrong.

 

[Sporgon]

Personally I like the effect you have got, where the foreground is sharp and the distant scene is slightly out of focus. I presume your point of focus was quite close ( a metre away ?) and so the background is just behind the depth of field ( at least it looks like that when viewed on an iPad). Also because of defraction at f13 subjects very close are going to be much sharper than those at infinity anyway. You don't say the focal length used, but it looks pretty wide so I'm not sure you needed f13 and a 16 sec exposure to get the effect you wanted.

The best way to get this picture is full focus near to far would be with a tilt lens. Failing that, if shooting 16 mil I'd have focused about 3 m in and used f5.6 to 8 depending on adequate dof in the foreground.

But as I said, I like it as is. Good picture.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I did three quick possible treatments in Lightroom to reduce the sharpness of the foreground rocks.

1. I brushed over the rocks in the foreground and selectively reduced the clarity.

2. I reduced clarity over the entire image.

3. I selectively adjusted the dehaze a negative amount to add a little haze over the foreground rocks.

If it was the background you wanted blurred, it can be done there. A wider aperture would reduce the depth of field so you could have a more limited area be in sharp focus.

 

[Jack56]

Thank you both for your kind responses. Very kind that you try to help me!
Yes, a tiltlens would help, but I haven't got one
I like the foreground as sharp as it is, but what bothers me are the contours of the two bigger stones, the standing stone and the one in front of it. It looks like the background doesn't belong to the foreground. But maybe I am too fuzzy. Although, that's what my dear wife say.

 

[kang159]

I think you got the wrong rocks there spokane. ;D

I see what you mean.
Those 2 rocks felt like they were drawing the eye away from the foreground. I felt like the shiny rocks in the foreground deserved more attention, so I cropped it a bit and brushed some contrast,clarity, and sharpness out of the two rocks. Apologies for hacking away at your image.

Something like this?

 

[candc]

I think its a great shot. The only thing I would do is use the adjustment brush on the flat rocks in the foreground and lower the highlights on them.

 

[chauncey]

You neglected to indicate what software that you have available...

 

[scottkinfw]

I like the photo the way it is.

However, the way I think about it is that if one area is very sharp, that is where the eye will want to go first. If this is NOT what you envision for this image, then soften it. However, it is your image, and you only have to make you happy with it.

sek

 

[scyrene]

It's a good image, but I see what you mean. Is it not more a question of composition than sharpness? The standing stones don't scream 'sharp!' to me so much as, their breaking the horizon so much means they're a focus of attention. Maybe a slightly different viewpoint would lessen the effect? Beautiful setting anyhow.