Poet's walk central park

[ckannan]

Hi,
I am a beginner and i am shooting with Canon S3 IS. I feel that my photo is not as sharp and crisp as some of the professional photos i have seen of this same location. I am not sure if it is because i shot this image with wrong settings or because i shot it handheld or because of the limitations of my Canon S3. I will appreciate any comments on this photo.
Thanks much.

Camera: Canon PowerShot S3 IS
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 6 mm
ISO Speed: 100

[doctorjames]

Nice shot, but like you say lacks natural sharpness.

I wondered what you focused on (or the camera did) to get the shot, as it may also be a focus issue.

Having never used your camera im not sure what you would be able to do better, but in an ideal world (and using my kit) I would:

Pack a tripod with me (not always realistic)
Set focus to manual and for this shot focus about 1/3 to half the way into the shot (though I would probably take a few shots with different focus points.
Choose the sweet spot aperture for the lense I was using (probably f11 for most of my 'standard' lenses)
Let the camera choose the shutter speed, with a little correction towards over-exposure (else the snow will be grey if the camera is metering to this as an average)

If I chanced opon this opportunity while out for a walk then I would have to compromise. If you went there specifically to shoot then I cant recommend strongly enough the tripod side of things. In the snow I cant imagine you were particularly warm, and this may all just be the result of a slightly unsteady camera.

Nice composition though, especially the shape and contrast of the tree branches on the left.

James

[sk66]

Looking at the exif, the focused distance was 2.3meters..about 8ft. F8 on that camera should get a pretty long DOF, it comes out to everything from 3ft to infinity with those settings....So, it wasn't the camera settings.

I'd have to guess camera shake.
The scene overall has a lack of contrast which amplifies the lack of focus.

[JFSanders]

I agree with sk66 on the camera shake. Hard not to show shake with a small camera like yours. Tripod will help as well as using your timed release function so the camera will be sitting still when the shutter trips.

[doctorjames]

Originally Posted by sk66

Looking at the exif, the focused distance was 2.3meters..about 8ft. F8 on that camera should get a pretty long DOF, it comes out to everything from 3ft to infinity with those settings....So, it wasn't the camera settings.

I'd have to guess camera shake.
The scene overall has a lack of contrast which amplifies the lack of focus.

I wonder if the lense is going to create a soft image even within the depth of field if its of such short focal length? my basic understanding of optics leads me to think that you may not get this sharp throughout what should be in focus.

If you dont have a tripod, try using something as one, like a bench or other flat surface and take a similar shot, with a wide depth of field. If you replicate the exposure (doesnt have to be snowy, just similar conditions (id set the aperture the same), with your camera on a firm base and you still have the same problems, then it might be a limitation with the camera, and not your hands.

James