Downtown Houston, creative or crud?

[Flea77]

So I decided to shoot downtown today with an eye towards being a little more creative than usual. Another post on here gave me the inspiration (and I blatantly stole his idea on one building and tried to tweak it to my taste). I guess my question is did I succeed in capturing Houston creatively, or am I just another tourist with a camera in downtown? Any suggestions on improving?

1)Penzoil buildings, always one of my favorites (12-24mm, 19mm, f7.1, 1/400)

2)Interesting design (24-70mm, 56mm, f7.1, 1/500)

3)Cluster of buildings (24-70mm, 46mm, f7.1, 1/500)

4)Continental buildings, another favorite (12-24mm, 12mm, f7.1, 1/800)

5)More of Continental (12-24mm, 12mm, f7.1, 1/400)

6)Reflections of a city (12-24mm, 12mm, f7.1, 1/320)

7)Down the street (12-24mm, 22mm, f7.1, 1/500)

8)I have always wanted to shoot downtown at night, but shots like this scare me enough to not want to do it alone (24-70mm, 31mm, f7.1, 1/100)


Allan

[bondarnes]

Not crud, but.......................

[TheFantasticG]

I like number four. The rest just don't excite me.

Although number eight made me chuckle

[ronocnikral]

4 and 5, continental buildings? that's new to me.

we shoot downtown houston at night and we feel perfectly safe. don't be scurred.

[mathia]

I like 5 and 8. I like cityscapes, but think that most cities come alive when shot at night. In all but one of my recent trips to Houston, I have stayed downtown at The Magnolia. I've always wanted to walk around and do some shots, but have to agree that I don't want to go it alone. The black building with the open top in 3 looks awesome at night and can be seen from the roof/pool at the Magnolia. I usually venture up there just to look over the city at night.

[wclavey]

Allan, a few thoughts from the peanut gallery... and I applaud you for going downtown to shoot - - a few of us were just talking about that a few days ago...

I like #2 as a concept and I think it might actually be a candidate for a re-shoot with your view camera. I think the highly structured rectilinear look to it and the shift in the middle would lend itself well to a "squared" version that you could do with the 4x5. Not a dead on flat square look -- I think you'd lose the interesting aspects of the break in the middle -- but so it isn't converging at the top. I think it would make it more abstract looking.

I like the buildings clustered in #3 but there is too much around them - - your focus is drawn away by the tree branches, the foreground, etc... and the effect of the cluster is diminished by the empty sky. A longer lens, perhaps?

#4 looks good except for the TX sky and there isn't much you can do about that - - perhaps paste one in from Colorado??? LOL!

I like #6 - - I like the building and the reflection... and the sky looks a little better than in #4! I suspect you tried to get as much of the reflection as possible, but I think if you cut off about half the garage at the bottom end, the reflections become a more powerful focal point - - at least it seemed that way to me.

Likewise, on #5, if you bring the top down to just a bit above the roof of the building, it makes the shape of the curve on the bottom & left much stronger.

So it seems that shooting in downtown is a bit more popular right now - - maybe it is the end of a long miserable winter... but we should do a Saturday or Sunday morning shoot there sometime soon... it has been over a year, I think, since Lee had his film crawl there... but it doesn't need to be a film crawl... just a few folks to feed some energy off of... the way you got your inspiration. And I'm still waiting to come out your way & shoot!

[venchka]

Allan,

We are all tourists with cameras. You are on the right track.

[Flea77]

@Don, thanks for saying it isn't crud, but what? I won't take offense as long as it steers me in a direction.

@Garret, 4 is one of my favorites too, I just really dislike the sky. 8 is pretty funny eh?

@Connor, I am just not that brave, we need to get a group together to go shoot at night, I would definitely be there!

@Alfred, Thanks, and I agree with shooting at night, maybe you could come down if we got a group together.

@Wes, I knew there was a reason I still liked you even after you gave me the 4x5 bug :-) I agree with #2 but this was a last minute deal so I didn't grab the big boy, will have to do that. #3 was one of my favorites to look at, least favorites to shoot because of the bloody trees. On #4 I actually thought about pasting in a sky, hmmmmm, even without it though that image just really appeals to me, glad you like it too. #6 I will try that and see. #5 I looked at that after you mentioned it and I agree, if I crop it a little more it becomes almost as powerful as #4 IMHO. I think a group shoot would be great, I did this early in the morning and would also love to shoot at night down there. You are always welcome to come up this way. We can always find something to shoot even if it just the two of us.

@Wayne, heh, I suppose you are right, we are all tourist. I was just trying to capture more of the spirit of Houston than the average tourist. Appreciate knowing I am on the right track :-)

One interesting tidbit, I was curious how #7 would fare because it was my first true tone mapped HDR and I find it intriguing that it has not been mentioned at all. Here I thought HDRs were all the rage. :-)

Allan

[tukaniray]

Nice shooting ... you've made Houston look better than it does just walking about ...

I also laughed at 8. I like 4 as well alot of lines and structure to look at.

-Ray-

[ronocnikral]

i'm always game to shoot downtown. just let me know when. the problem is my schedule.

i might be able to gain access for a couple of people to the top of the "continental buildings," which i call them the "chevron" or "old enron" buildings. since i have an office in both of them :)

[Flea77]

Originally Posted by ronocnikral

i'm always game to shoot downtown. just let me know when. the problem is my schedule.

i might be able to gain access for a couple of people to the top of the "continental buildings," which i call them the "chevron" or "old enron" buildings. since i have an office in both of them :)

Now THAT would be a treat! Any time, just let me know!

Allan

[Gabby498]

Allan, I am seventy years old and I frequently shoot downtown Houston at night by myself with a D700. Now maybe that isn't wise but I enjoy it so I do it. Go down on a Friday or Saturday and there are more cops than you will see all week.

[Tom]

4 is not the Continental building. That is what used to be the Enron plaza.

[Steelsun]

Also a fan of shooting downtown. I probably do it once every 2 months, usually on early Sunday mornings when it is quite peaceful.

[valdesp03]

I went downtown a week ago at night and shot for an hour or so. Stayed on Main most of the time and it was pretty safe. Actually had a cop approach me on what I was shooting.

I also took some shots of random people that were cool with me taking their picture. I think as long as you use common sense, you will be ok.

I would be interested in a group trip also :)