[zheric]

What could I do to improve a picture in this situation? There was plenty of light. I took this pic in TAV mode, I set the aperture to F16 and shutter speed to 45,　focal length at 18mm. but the image is not sharp enough, and the focus seems very poor． Any C&C are welcome, thank you. I think I'm making progress, little by little

Attached Images

 

[Sparkle]

My suggestion is to crop to a 4 x 3. Remove the bottom to just a bit below the left hand marsh and the top to just a bit above the birds. Lighten it a bit till the marsh shines a little. You should have used 55 mm on these distant subjects. A telephoto lens would be even better but the birds may be too far away to get the combination you wanted. Upon cropping and lightening you should find that the focus is not too bad. So called "Kit" lenses are not that sharp in particular circumstances. Having the right equipment is one thing, knowing how to use it another, knowing the technique of the Art and Science another but hard work is what makes it all happen. Remember, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Hope this helps. Season's Greetings.

[zheric]

Thank you,Sparkle, this is very helpful, I learned a lot!!

[Sparkle]

Happy that you found my comments helpful.

[dawsonjm]

I second Sparlke's suggestion to crop your image, but I would go quite a bit further. With a shutter speed of 1/45s, you can not make a sharp image of anything that moves, especially a flying duck! If you crop to just under the ducks, and some of the dark off the bottom, you will have a land(pond)scape that has good color, exposure and composition.

I think that the attempt to get a good landscape with great depth of field, along with flying ducks in focus, would stymie most photographers. You generally have to choose what you want to take the picture of.

[Sparkle]

Your title is birds and lake. At the distance the birds are sharpness will not be an issue as they will be too small. My comments were simply a guide to get what you wanted as best you might.

[Manel Brand]

Remember, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Hope this helps.

"Yes We Can!

In the second part of my article on Islamic reform (coming soon), I observe that you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. I didn't know until I googled that this apophthegm was one of Swift's. What's more, he was wrong:

Massachusetts industrialist Arthur D. Little liked a challenge. In 1921, after hearing someone quote Jonathan Swift's adage, "You can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear," Little decided to try to do just that.
From a meat-packer he obtained a form of glue made from the skin and gristle of sows' ears. Taking an amount roughly equivalent to one sow's ear, he had it filtered and forced through a spinneret into a mixture of formaldehyde and acetone.
The glue emerged as 16 fine, colorless streams that hardened and then combined to form a single composite fiber.
Little soaked the fiber in dyed glycerin. Then he wove the resulting thread into cloth on a hand-loom-and fashioned the cloth into the elegant purse shown here, the kind of item carried by ladies of the Middle Ages.

In future posts I will tackle the subject of beggars becoming choosers and old dogs learning new tricks. Change you can believe in."

Mary Jackson, The Iconoclast

(The Iconoclast)

Guess Obama is right, and you are wrong!

[Sparkle]

"Yes We Can!

In the second part of my article on Islamic reform (coming soon), I observe that you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. I didn't know until I googled that this apophthegm was one of Swift's. What's more, he was wrong:

Massachusetts industrialist Arthur D. Little liked a challenge. In 1921, after hearing someone quote Jonathan Swift's adage, "You can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear," Little decided to try to do just that.
From a meat-packer he obtained a form of glue made from the skin and gristle of sows' ears. Taking an amount roughly equivalent to one sow's ear, he had it filtered and forced through a spinneret into a mixture of formaldehyde and acetone.
The glue emerged as 16 fine, colorless streams that hardened and then combined to form a single composite fiber.
Little soaked the fiber in dyed glycerin. Then he wove the resulting thread into cloth on a hand-loom-and fashioned the cloth into the elegant purse shown here, the kind of item carried by ladies of the Middle Ages.

In future posts I will tackle the subject of beggars becoming choosers and old dogs learning new tricks. Change you can believe in."

Mary Jackson, The Iconoclast

(The Iconoclast)

Guess Obama is right, and you are wrong!

It was admitted that it was not "silk'. Silk is a very strong material. See:

http://http://libraries.mit.edu/archives/exhibits/purse/

When will you learn not to mess with a woman! LOL

[Manel Brand]

It was admitted that it was not "silk'.

Still, making "silk purses out of a sow's ear" had more value as conversation starters than the items intended for practical use, if you know what I mean.
(Please refer to the your lib source)

A woman is a woman—never a women.

[Sparkle]

Still, making "silk purses out of a sow's ear" had more value as conversation starters than the items intended for practical use, if you know what I mean.
(Please refer to the your lib source)

A woman is a woman—never a women.

A two centimeter rope of spider silk can hoist an SUV!

So why are scientists not working with the glue version instead?

"silk" is either "silk" or not.

And I don't know what you mean by your "women".

I'm a woman not a women.

What makes you so combative. Is it your particular Portuguese environment?

I have many Portuguese friends and they seem quite nice.

Perhaps you just can't parry with a woman. A lot of old fashioned men everywhere are like that.

[kryss]

A two centimeter rope of spider silk can hoist an SUV!

So why are scientists not working with the glue version instead?

"silk" is either "silk" or not.

And I don't know what you mean by your "women".

I'm a woman not a women.

What makes you so combative. Is it your particular Portuguese environment?

I have many Portuguese friends and they seem quite nice.

Perhaps you just can't parry with a woman. A lot of old fashioned men everywhere are like that.

Who was it that said something along the lines "It is far better to keep one's mouth closed and have people think you are stupid,than to open it and remove all doubt.

[Sparkle]

The Bible; Proverbs 17:28. Anything else you would like to know from this old woman in her seventies?

[Manel Brand]

A two centimeter rope of spider silk can hoist an SUV!

So why are scientists not working with the glue version instead?

Because scientists have come up with a material known as graphene, a carbon nanotube fiber.

Look here:

Graphene Will Change the Way We Live | Dr. Kaku's Universe | Big Think

See, we don't need your silk, madam.

[Sparkle]

Because scientists have come up with a material known as graphene, a carbon Nanete fiber.

Look here:

Graphene Will Change the Way We Live | Dr. Jake's Universe | Big Think

See, we don't need your silk, madam.

What they are talking about, Sir, is a superconductive material.

What I am talking about is silk fiber which by changing the humidity (water content) in it will regulate its expansion and contraction. Very little of this very strong material will act like a muscle, for example, and has potentially huge applications in Medicine and e.g. Robots. Thus for repair in and of living bodies or for using very small tools in the human or other animal bodies to do needed work therein. The other application has great potential e.g. for reducing the costs of Robots in factories and warehouses since they run on water, and very little of it.

Now go to bed and try to get up on the right side tomorrow, Sir.

[Rupert]

Be Nice Guys! No I am not a Moderator, but I have the damnest time resisting a good argument and when I get going I always end up in trouble........and the sad part of that is that I love trouble too!

So I am going to avoid temptation here on Christmas Day, and every other day if at all possible, and just stick to the photo in question........

It is not a bad shot.......It is not a great shot. That's fine, we all have a bunch of them, and if you can learn from any shot, then it is a good one. I agree with the advice already given, and although I am not in the purse business, I think you can make a few improvements to this shot.

Here I did some cropping and used Focus Magic to sharpen it just a little along with a little adjustment of the lighting in Levels. Just keep shooting and experimenting, and eventually it will come together for you. Post here, ask for help, comments or whatever and you will get it. Stay away from arguments or politics, and avoid Sows, they have nasty temperaments!

Best Regards!
Rupert

BTW-Avoid speed reading too....I saw this as Lady in a Lake, and was quite curious......

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