C&C requested please.

[cstewart1977]

I'm a new "Guy With Camera" and this is the first photo I'm posting for C&C. Please know there's no need to be gentle. I'm a big boy and can take criticism very well. Please let me know what you think.



Thank you!

[daveb]

Hmmmm... leaning tower of Houston ???
really it is not a bad shot but the distortion from the wide angle lens really is working against you ...

It can be fixed in PS or most other post processing tools.

It would have been nice if the tree on the left wasn't there but oh well

I am wondering though ... what was your subject the tower ... the brick building ... the arches ... the light trails ??? There is no clear focus... nowhere for the eye to settle

Just a couple of thoughts

[cstewart1977]

Thanks for the input Dave.

I was quite perplexed as to why the tower was leaning and didn't even know what the phenomenon was called. Now that you've pointed it out to me, I've been able to find a ton of articles that explain it.

I have a 50mm fixed, would that have worked better for this shot or should I have just moved back and zoomed out some?

I see what you mean about not having a clearly defined subject. I wanted a shot of the tower that didn't look like every other shot that I often see. When I got to the location, I saw the arches, the building, the tree branches, and I guess went way overboard trying to do too much at once.


Thanks again, you've given me plenty of homework!

[Tom]

A 50mm would have worked much better. The wide angle lenses all have a good bit of distortion, but if you go longer, you won't see as much.

[Flea77]

I might also have moved up a little and turned the camera a slight bit to the right to really emphasize the chrome arches and the curve of the bus stop in the foreground which would have contrasted well with the retangular shape of the tall building (assuming you get it straight).

Allan

[daveb]

Originally Posted by Thomas Campbell

A 50mm would have worked much better. The wide angle lenses all have a good bit of distortion, but if you go longer, you won't see as much.

What Thomas Said

[rab3rd]

one of these...



helps a lot for shooting with wide angle lenses. You reduce the distortion if you keep everything level. If you get to Houston HSE have these in stock for around 25 dollars.

[MicWayWal]

I know all of you anal-retentive shutter trippers want every vertical line straight and every horizontal line level.

I like the distortion of this image. I would exaggerate the effect more. I would get closer, tilt the camera plane up, for MORE distortion to make sure people understand I want it that way.

[venchka]

See there. No right. No wrong. Just do it.
Go back to that stop. Get closer. Maybe under the train stop roof aiming at the brick building across the street. Include the chrome arches if possible. Get way out there. Artistically speaking. It could work. Or you could hurt yourself. Not really-figure of speech for when you try something outrageous and it doesn't work.
Where is that train stop? Or is it a bus stop?

[cstewart1977]

@Rob Thanks, I've heard of those cubes. Now I know why they're needed:)

@Wayne It's a bus stop:) Thanks for the advice. I'm sure I'll try to tackle this shot again from a different vantage point.

[daveb]

Originally Posted by MicWayWal

I know all of you anal-retentive shutter trippers want every vertical line straight and every horizontal line level.

I like the distortion of this image. I would exaggerate the effect more. I would get closer, tilt the camera plane up, for MORE distortion to make sure people understand I want it that way.

Almost like a fisheye effect ... could work actually

[daveb]

Hey Chris ... if you reshoot it and still have the building on the left framed in see if you can catch it when there are more lights on ... that way it wont be just negative space sitting there or frame it out totally...that dark glass is a bit distracting