Lighthouse after sunset

Hi all, I'm trying out some longer exposures - well I am a newbie so I am trying everything out...What do you think of the picture? Does the lighthouse look soft to you? Do you prefer one crop over the other - or do you suggest binning and starting again? If so, please tell me what you would do. Thanks in advance!

I like the boat in the foreground. I would even crop a tiny bit off the top of the second photo so the horizon isn't dead center. Where is the focus point? Was it shot with a tripod? Looks a tad soft to me, maybe just needs some sharpening?

In agreement with above. It looks like you have a spot on your sensor as well. To the left of the lighthouse in both shots. I'd clone it out if it were me.

the focus is clearly on the boat in the bottom left. pity, would have been a lovely shot!

iwannabe wrote in post #8150824
In agreement with above. It looks like you have a spot on your sensor as well. To the left of the lighthouse in both shots. I'd clone it out if it were me.

What do I do about fixing the spot? Do I have to live with it?

24alpha wrote in post #8152148
the focus is clearly on the boat in the bottom left. pity, would have been a lovely shot!

Thanks for the comments. I can go back and re-shoot, this is really close to home.

I don't have a tripod, I was using a railing.

Thanks!

Justiss wrote in post #8152566
What do I do about fixing the spot? Do I have to live with it?

Might be dust on the lens -- clean with one of the bulb syringes with the brush on the end you can get with your standard lens cleaning kit. In the meantime, you can use the healing brush tool in Photoshop to get rid of it.

Agreed, though -- were the lighthouse in focus, it would be pretty awesome... I would've gone with the top crop, maybe even a bit higher so the horizon line was at the bottom 1/3 of the photograph. Nice location, though -- try to head back there if you can!

I prefer #1, without the boat. In fact, I'd crop a bit more off the bottom to lose the rocks in the foreground, too. Would make a nice panorama... after you straighten the horizon.

Retake the shot -- it's too soft. The colors are nice though.

Clone it out, or try to avoid it with a larger f-stop than this one you used: Lens F-Number/F-Stop = 22/1 = F22
And, don't jiggle the tripod.

Some personal views on Sensor cleaning.

Not sure if this would be of any help, but here is a link to a DIY tripod which can be made relatively cheap. I made this myself and will be the first to admit it's definitely not the best in the world but if you put it together good enough it will serve its purpose in most cases. http://lifehacker.com …nywhere-tripod-219396.php

Thanks everyone for the comments! Really appreciate the feedback!

dr1ft wrote in post #8154115
Retake the shot -- it's too soft. The colors are nice though.

this, right here. i LOVE the color in the shot. and, yes, the boat is in focus. you just needed to change where your dof landed. for sunset shots, i think you would be better served to place the focal point just shy of infinity. if you want the boat in focus, too, you need a hi f/number and a tripod because the exposure will be a long one.