Postcard From Melbourne

[dje]

Kerry and Mal have posted on a Melbourne visit recently and I thought I would follow suit having just returned from that fair city myself. Here are some shots from the city itself. They are sort of postcard stuff but I was concentrating on composition and would appreciate any feedback.

Dave

Princes Bridge, Art Gallery Spire and Eureka Tower


Flinders St Station

Carlton Gardens


Exhibition Building


Old Melbourne Tram


Edit note :
Image 1 replaced by image with better perspective correction.

Image 5 replaced by new crop.

[Goldcoastgolfer]

So we didn't actually go into Melbourne city but were out Mornington way. After seeing your photos though I wish I had. Great shots!

And before anyone starts saying anything about the tram lines, I personally think they're an inherent part of Melbourne and should be visible

Did you get out on that building with the glass platform - I think it's the tall one in your first photo?

[dje]

So we didn't actually go into Melbourne city but were out Mornington way. After seeing your photos though I wish I had. Great shots!

And before anyone starts saying anything about the tram lines, I personally think they're an inherent part of Melbourne and should be visible

Did you get out on that building with the glass platform - I think it's the tall one in your first photo?

Thanks Mal. I believe there is an observation deck on the Eureka Tower but we haven't been up there.

Dave

[Geoff F]

Excellent clarity will all those shots, Dave.

Obviously a drier air than what we get in the UK at this time of the year.

[dje]

Excellent clarity will all those shots, Dave.

Obviously a drier air than what we get in the UK at this time of the year.

Thanks Geoff. Melbourne weather can be a bit temperemental - they talk about four seasons in one day sometimes - but it was spot on last week. And yes, a little drier and a little warmer than your weather at present from what I hear !

Dave

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Dave,

I'm going to pick on a few specific issues that struck me as I viewed each, but please do bear these minor niggles in the context of your work being technically well above average.

#1; I think the right foreground ornate lamp stand is one too many vertical elements in the image, I think it would have been strong enoufgh with twoer left and other buildings.

#2; There might be a small amount of clockwise rotation and perspective correction needed here, although I admit that some things do appear to be vertical, others are not, but I may be being misled if they are angled and receding.

#3; again, I feel a small amount of clockwise rotation would help. Have you considered a radical crop to remove most of the left hand side (and woman leaving)? This would put the fountain nearer the left third and people advancing upon it on the right third. I do like the detail under the trees though, I bet that didn't come without help

#4; yet again I feel there's a perspective and/or tilt issue, but I couldn't really quantify it, except through trees on extreme right

#5; I'd like to see more headroom above the tram and perhaps a little less pavement in foreground.

I do hope that's helpful,

[JPS]

Dave,
a great set of pictures, really enjoyed looking at them, hope to visit myself one day.
With regard to some C&C, nothing to add too Mr Humphries comments.

[MrB]

Dave, as Dave H has written - good photos. I also agree with him about #3, #4 and #5, and add that buildings and posts behind the tram show that #5 also needs a slight clockwise rotation. I disagree about #2 - the perspective looks fine to me. When tall buildings are viewed from ground level, the brain expects to perceive them narrow towards the top. The narrowing effect depends on viewing distance. Seen from a moderate distance away, the narrowing will be very slight, but it will still be there, and it will also have the effect of making a group of tall buildings lean inwards very slightly at the top, as is correctly the case in #2. From a large distance, the vertical structures should appear vertical in a level photo. However, the perspective doesn't look quite right to me (possibly by being over-corrected) in #1 - the tops of the buildings are leaning slightly outwards. These adjustments are very small, but they are very perceptible.

Philip

[dje]

Dave,
a great set of pictures, really enjoyed looking at them, hope to visit myself one day.
With regard to some C&C, nothing to add too Mr Humphries comments.

Thanks John, glad you enjoyed them.

Dave

[dje]

Hi Dave,

I'm going to pick on a few specific issues that struck me as I viewed each, but please do bear these minor niggles in the context of your work being technically well above average.

#1; I think the right foreground ornate lamp stand is one too many vertical elements in the image, I think it would have been strong enoufgh with twoer left and other buildings.

#2; There might be a small amount of clockwise rotation and perspective correction needed here, although I admit that some things do appear to be vertical, others are not, but I may be being misled if they are angled and receding.

#3; again, I feel a small amount of clockwise rotation would help. Have you considered a radical crop to remove most of the left hand side (and woman leaving)? This would put the fountain nearer the left third and people advancing upon it on the right third. I do like the detail under the trees though, I bet that didn't come without help

#4; yet again I feel there's a perspective and/or tilt issue, but I couldn't really quantify it, except through trees on extreme right

#5; I'd like to see more headroom above the tram and perhaps a little less pavement in foreground.

I do hope that's helpful,

Thanks for your very helpful comments Dave.

#1 : I agree, the lamp and stand is a bit too intrusive. I was trying to get an "old and new" effect but the top of the lamp got chopped off when I did vertical perspective correction (there was a fair bit required).

#2 : Perspecrtive correction was also required for this and this may explain the "variations in verticality".

#3 : Something like this ? hmm, not sure .


#4 : Yes I made the centre of the building vertical but I think there is some perspective "distortion". Also I'm not sure that the lamp posts are actually vertical.

#5 : Agreed. I'll redo that but it will take a while becaue I'll have to re-process the whole image.

Thanks again
Dave

[dje]

Dave, as Dave H has written - good photos. I also agree with him about #3, #4 and #5, and add that buildings and posts behind the tram show that #5 also needs a slight clockwise rotation. I disagree about #2 - the perspective looks fine to me. When tall buildings are viewed from ground level, the brain expects to perceive them narrow towards the top. The narrowing effect depends on viewing distance. Seen from a moderate distance away, the narrowing will be very slight, but it will still be there, and it will also have the effect of making a group of tall buildings lean inwards very slightly at the top, as is correctly the case in #2. From a large distance, the vertical structures should appear vertical in a level photo. However, the perspective doesn't look quite right to me (possibly by being over-corrected) in #1 - the tops of the buildings are leaning slightly outwards. These adjustments are very small, but they are very perceptible.

Philip

Thanks for your helpful comments Philip. I reckon you are correct about me over correcting the perspective in #1. I'll re-visit all these images and see what I can do abot the issues raised.

Dave