My first pictures.

[Greg McCary]

Please try and judge my on quality and not content. I tried to keep it simple and learn to use a tripod and get a clean shot. I used a polarizer and set the camera to f/22 and focused to infinity. I don't know how to hyperfocal focus just yet. Is using Photoshop to remove items cheating??? Sorry for putting more than one photo at a time. I should have read the guidelines first.

[Loupey]

Hi, Greg and welcome!

I think you did good. I like the 2nd one for purposes of quality. There I don't think you focused at infinity because the depth of field goes right to the bottom of the frame while the trees at the horizon seem a little soft.

I like the 3rd one for purposes of content. Nice motion blur of the train to convey motion. It is missing a complimentary subject in the lower right side of the frame.

Good work and keep shooting (and posting)! Remember, depending on what lens you are using, you don't always need to shoot stopped all the way down to get "everything" in focus. And often, you won't want to get everything in focus.

[swmdrayfan]

Hi Greg. Welcome.
Using Photoshop cheating? No. Whatever it takes to improve your image, feel free to use it.
John

[yogestee]

Hi, Greg and welcome!

I think you did good. I like the 2nd one for purposes of quality. There I don't think you focused at infinity because the depth of field goes right to the bottom of the frame while the trees at the horizon seem a little soft.

I like the 3rd one for purposes of content. Nice motion blur of the train to convey motion. It is missing a complimentary subject in the lower right side of the frame.

Good work and keep shooting (and posting)! Remember, depending on what lens you are using, you don't always need to shoot stopped all the way down to get "everything" in focus. And often, you won't want to get everything in focus.

Hi Greg and welcome....Listen to Mr Loupey,,,he is the man LOL...You did well for your first posting...I can't add much more to what Loupey has said..
Most lenses have a sweet spot and that is around 2 stops smaller than full aperture for example a f2.8 lens will be at its best around f5.6 or f8.0,,but this is really academic..If you want the utmost in quality use this aperture as long as depth of field isn't a priority..

There is a mathematical formula for determining hyperfocal distance but it is damn complicated...This is how it works,,when you stop a lens down to f22 or f16 and focus on infinity the depth of field will be beyond infinity which isn't very useful especially if you need your image to be sharp up close right up to infinity like your image of the railway tracks..Try pulling your focus back nearer the camera and if you have a depth of field button press that and have a long close look at what is sharp..If you are in bright light focus back and forwards while the DOF button is pressed..You will notice what is sharp and what is not..Pick a focal point where infinity and the nearest point to the camera is sharpest,,,that is your hyperfocal distant....Naturally this changes with aperture and lens focal length..Some top shelf lenses still have lines drawn on the lens barrell matching up the aperture with the focus setting...
It is difficult to put into words but easy in practise..

Is PS cheating,,,,,hell no,,,shhhhhhhhh just don't tell anyone!!!

Jurgen
Australia