This was a wonderful moment that I happened to pass by. A grandmother, a mother, and a child. Interesting how the family is as deep as the blocking of the photo.
2. A photo hiking up to the summit of Timpanogos. The bush leading up to the mountain, then the mountains in the back move into the mist behind, creating this epic shot with a few levels of depth.
3. Although this picture does go out of focus toward the back, there is textural diffusion with the water in front, and perspective with lines moving toward the horizon in the back. Also, this was a beautiful moment to find this little emblem of pride on campus.
I thought you hit spot on with your first photo capturing deep focus.
The 2nd photo takes my breath away with the quality and setting. The lighting of the day must have helped to capture such deep focus without light pollution, reflection, and haze.
The 3rd Photo I see your concern but with the texture of the granite it does help give us some distance.
I love each of these, they're so different from one another and yet each really effective! I think the diffusion of the last photo, especially having people in the background to add a sense of scale, really works; I wouldn't worry about the focus. I do think the second photo might have worked better if the bushes hadn't taken up so much of the frame; it almost feels flat until my eye was drawn to the mist between the two peaks. I think focusing on that part of the image might have caused it to feel more deep. It's a beautiful photo though, and that first one is so sweet :)