First go at Landscape well a highway

[Canon Kid]

I just got delivery of my new lens Sigma 10-20mm f3.5. I am going to shoot off a bridge onto a 6 lane highway, I understand about near middle and far and also on a tripod first shot will be with good light and later try and get a night shot. what focus points should I use for this type of image, going to start off at f12, also what metering mode will be the best.
Thanks for any reply

[yelvertoft]

Originally Posted by Canon Kid

Iwhat focus points should I use for this type of image, going to start off at f12, also what metering mode will be the best.

Terry,
How much of the image do you want to be in focus? Which parts of the image do you want to be in focus? From your comment about using f/12, it suggests you want all of the scene to be in focus. If so, pick a focus point that is about 1/3 of the way into the scene. With a lens as wide as the 10-20, there will be a huge Depth of Field at f/12, so as long as you're not focused on something very close, such as the safety rail on the bridge over the highway, then it will pretty much be guaranteed to be all in focus at this aperture.

Experiment, pick different focal points, try different settings, analyse the pictures using the preview screen on the back. Learn what's right for you.

[Canon Kid]

Here's my first attempts at the motorway, one at f3.5 for sharpness, one at f22 to show speed, and one in between at f13 exif attached, please feel free to let me know how I can improve. Will be back to-night to get some dusk with light shots.....

[Canon Kid]

I took some more images as it got dark, but I have the same problem not enough traffic, Ho for a traffic jam.

[Nigel G]

Of the 6 the first evening shot works best for me although I agree a little more traffic would help the light trails.
I'm slightly intrigued by your desciption of the f stop selection for you daylight images. f3.5 is wide open but most lenses are sharpest stopped down a bit and for movement I would select shutter priority, and a slow(ish) shutter speed, and let the camera sort out the f stop but adjusting iso if I needed to control DoF.
In this instance the only real DoF decision you need to make is whether the bridge rail should be in or out of focus. Wide open will put it out of focus as the first image shows.

[Canon Kid]

Thanks Nigel for your comments, I was just trying all different settings to try and learn a bit, a nice proper landscape would be nice, but only been using it for two hours, so learning curve at the bottom at the moment, I am going to try out a Wind turbine to-morrow.
Heres another of my back garden, to get bluer Sky's and greener grass what filter do I need to use

[Nigel G]

I don't have filters so I'm not sure what options are open in that respect although I think ND grads are generally the way to get more out of the sky. Using lightroom to pp I would selctively boost the saturation if required.

[Gidders]

With a 10-20mm, for me, its about what it does for perspective rather than just "getting a lot in"

Setting your lens at f8 and manual focus at 1m will give you a depth of field from ~ 50 cm to infinity.

Try changing your position - lie down or standing over your subject and see the different images it creates

<<<lying down>>>

<<<or standing tall>>>

both taken within ~ 5 feet of the girl

<<<more lying down>>>

<<<and more>>>

<<or standing over the subject>>>

[yelvertoft]

Originally Posted by Canon Kid

to get bluer Sky's and greener grass what filter do I need to use

No need to use a filter, as I've said in another of your threads. Try using the exposure compensation function to under expose the shot, this will keep some colour in the sky. Shoot in raw format. Then, process the raw file twice, once to get the scene "correctly" exposed, and the second time to keep the blue in the sky. Put both these images into photoshop as two layers with the blue sky layer on top. Remove the darker area of the underexposed shot keep the bluer sky showing and the correctly exposed foreground from the layer underneath.

If you must use a filter, (or, if you must spend your money) then get an ND grad as Andy already said in your other thread.

[Canon Kid]

Thanks guys for your comments, OK then, I have not had a filter yet, right I will not get one, honest, I am saving my money for a upgrade to the 7d got £650 towards it, don't know how much the 50d will bring, but need the the price of the 7d to drop alot.

Magic Video from the 7d http://vimeo.com/6487566 Watch it full scene awesome

Anyway heres a few image of the Wind turbine close up has got a some tungsten applied.