OT - Photo blending

I have been wanting to try this technique and did so yesterday on the Alpine Loop. Please jump in and let me know if I'm doing this the right way. I set up and shot three images at f11, manually focused one shot each at near, mid and far ground, with circular polarizer and used cable release. I used AV mode rather than a manual technique. Is this the right way to get sharpness throughout an image? Thanks for your help.

Image is here:
http://ic2.pbase.com/o3/15/421415/1/127315157.HgnX67Ui.Alpineloopfallsblend2.jpg

Well, this is certainly sharp from fore to aft, but I'm not sure you needed to go to all of that work in this example. Unless you used a telephoto lens, then I'm almost positive that you could have achieved max. DOF using an aperture of f16.
Check out this hyperfocal chart and see if any of those settings would have worked for you in this instance.

I used my 70-200mm f2.8L @ 105mm. What I'd like to know is if I'm going about it correctly technique-wise even if this was not a good scene to use it on. I'm sort of flying by the seat of my pants being the self-taught soul that I am. Thanks for the link John...I don't understand that hyperfocal chart stuff either.

Field technique looks solid to me as the image is sharp throughout. I''m interested in your postprocess technique in blending all three shots if you have time to describe it.

Looks great to me too, Pam, but as John says--it would have probably looked great with one exposure at f/11 too, so we can't say if you're doing anything 'wrong' here. It sounds like you went about things the right way--the tricky part is with the blend. PS can do a decent job with straightforward scenes like this, but if there are nearby objects like bushes or trees overlapping the distant bg, then it can get problematic even if you're using the same AV. In general, hyperfocusing is a better bet for lazy photogs like me... then theres always tilt and shift....

I pretty much followed this tutorial I found on line:
http://www.justincaryphotography.com/blog/photography/auto-blending-depth-of-field-photoshop-cs4.html
Yeah Stan, I mainly wanted to know if I went about getting the three images properly...not the scene itself. I wasn't sure if I could use AP priority or if I should use a manual setting for the images. I'm also not crazy about relying on my elder vision for manual focusing at the different portions of the image. I obviously should figure out what hyperfocusing is and how it works...heard of it but never've done it...unless it was an accident (HA!).

Hey Pam,
I've found Tony Kuyper's tutorial on the subject helpful and it still applies with the CS4/5 capabilities.

Here is an explanation of Hyperfocal distance. DOFmaster also has a good program for making custom charts. You can google for other good tutorials. It's a good technique to understand.

Thanks Kalin...I've got to get the hang of hyperfocusing and here's an idea.....actually read my lens manuals

I checked out that link, Pam--if you use Auto Blend in PS, be aware that even with the latest upgrades, it doesnt always do well with complex scenes, and you can check that by looking at the mask the program creates.
As for manual vs priority, personally i always use manual because sometimes it's necessary to change all the settings for a scene with HDR for example. That sometimes creates difficulty with the blend--oh well! If i have to work pixel by pixel--ill do it. Depends on how much time you want to spend. I think your approach is going to work most of the time--just keep playing with it and youll find out soon enough!