Subtle :: OR
Did you know there is a massive sea of sand dunes in Oregon? Yeah, me neither. But they’re there, and they’re awesome! (I put that adventure up on The Outbound, for those of you who want to learn more.)
Now, the nerdy stuff…this is a simple focus stack, of two layered images. The first focused on the foreground, the second focused on the ridge line in back…I merged the two in PhotoShop using masks. Interested in learning more about things like focus stacking? I offer private lessons and structured online lessons through Light & Landscape. You can contact Matt over at L&L for more information about the program.
SeeingSpotsPhoto.com 
The sand looks so smooth, love it!
Thanks so much Roselinde!
Lovely image! 🙂 Interesting to see focus stacking used on a landscape, somehow i always had it connected just with macro photography. If you don’t mind me asking, what are the pros with using focus stacking rather than just an f.stop of 16 or more? With a wide angle lens it should all be in focus…
I could have used f/16 or higher, as you suggest, but the actual sharpness of the image falls away the farther you get from a lens’ sweet spot (which is usually the middle aperture range… F/8-f/11 ish)…. It may not have been too noticeable for a web version, but when it’s printed large you will probably notice. 🙂
That’s not to say I never use f/16, but just like anything else in life, I try to weigh the pros and cons on every compromise I make. I generally try to keep my landscapes around f/9-f/11 and from there make the decision to either use hyper focal or focus stack. The decision is usually based on the conditions and composition. In this case, I felt the grass in the foreground needed to be sharp, but I wanted the background textures to also stand out as a juxtaposition to the smooth sand, so focus stacking worked better than hyper focal distance.
Hope that helps!
🙂 I understand! I’ll definitely keep it in mind as an option! Thank you!
I didn’t know this about Oregon either! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! 🙂
Nice concept
Thank you!
Thanks!