Overpass (C&C appreciated)

[picsfrommt]

I took this picture in Portland, Oregon. Originally I had it in color, but a friend suggested B/W would work better.

Is my composition to formulaic? Any other comments? My own self critique says there's something wrong on the right side of the photo. The chopped of yellow sign should be either fully there or fully gone.

(186 of 365) Swoops by picsfrommt, on Flickr


(do over 186 of 365) Swoop by picsfrommt, on Flickr

BTW, the settings were ISO 100, f/5 @ 1/160 second on a cropped sensor zoomed out to 109mm.

[Brownbear]

Hi Craig,

I still have a lot to learn about composition but I will share my personal viewpoint, and hopefully others with more experience will add to this.

Beautifully exposed and focused. Lovely light. I prefer the black and white version (lovely conversion that seems to show off the light and lines) for the overall look and also because it tones down the yellow steep hill sign.

[Ken Curtis]

Hi Craig.

I see how the railing on the bridge goes from the upper left corner to the lower right corner. Normally, that is a good thing, but I am left wondering if there are any interesting geometric shapes below the bridge. There may not be. Just a thought.

What might improve this image is replacing the sky or taking the shot on another day. The sky is so uniformly blue. There is a lot of uninteresting sky in this image that does not contribute to the composition. Because, the bridge railing goes from corner to corner, you can not crop. If the sky had some clouds, even wispy high clouds, it would break up the monotony of the solid blue. Another possibility is to put an airplane in the upper right to balance the composition. All the visual weight is currently below an imaginary diagonal from the upper left corner to the lower right corner.

[MrB]

As the subject is the overpass, I think the blank sky is appropriate - sky detail would distract attention from the shapes and details of the bridge. I like the diagonal composition but the image looks slightly tilted to me, needing a slight clockwise rotation. The strong, middle-of-day lighting suggests that both colour and mono versions would benefit from a good deal more contrast, which would really bring out the subject more effectively for me.
E.g. -



Cheers.
Philip

[pnodrog]

If the curved shape is what attracted you to take the photo why not emphasis it? Below is a quick edit to show you one approach that may do it.

Removed image

Try not to leave any room for someone to be left wondering..

[picsfrommt]

Hi Craig.

but I am left wondering if there are any interesting geometric shapes below the bridge. There may not be. Just a thought.

Yes Ken, there are. But I saved those for some other photos.

In case you are ever in the area, this is in downtown Portland, Oregon on NW 14th Ave underneath I-405 where highway 30 comes in. The highways and overpasses in Portland are spectacular. From where I was standing it would be hard to point the camera anywhere and not get interesting lines and curves.

I know a great photographer can take great photos anywhere, but for me, places like this one make it a lot easier to get a good shot.

[nimitzbenedicto]

As the subject is the overpass, I think the blank sky is appropriate - sky detail would distract attention from the shapes and details of the bridge. I like the diagonal composition but the image looks slightly tilted to me, needing a slight clockwise rotation. The strong, middle-of-day lighting suggests that both colour and mono versions would benefit from a good deal more contrast, which would really bring out the subject more effectively for me.
E.g. -



Cheers.
Philip

Yes. I'd agree. Maybe even go further and clone out the sign/lamp posts.
( for the color version.)

[wmoore]

Maybe go for a completely different look

[picsfrommt]

I certainly appreciate the comments. Thanks.

I haven't had a lot of time this week to play with this photo, but here's a couple edits of the color version.

(do over 186 of 365) Swoop by picsfrommt, on Flickr

(do over 186 of 365) Swoop by picsfrommt, on Flickr

In my opinion, the yellow warning sign doesn't look good in the photo, not even a little bit.

[MrB]

Obviously we all have different tastes and ideas, and in this image I would be happy for the signs to remain - they are part of the fixed street furniture. Also, as I suggested previously, with a clear sky in the middle of the day I would expect to see a lot more contrast, which would bring out the structure of the overpass.
E.g.-



Cheers.
Philip