Board Says it All - Tomb

[fotugraphy]

Hi, going forward on my photography venture I stopped and clicked another shot. Can you please review it and let me know what exactly is missing for it to make it much better?

It is an image of Safdarjang Tomb, New Delhi, India. Just wanted to click it in a different manner, so i have included the board. It was a very hazy day with no details or colors in the sky and sun was very dim and was hiding behind haze. I tried my best to cut down haze in post processing.

I tried to balance the elements diagonally with the composition and with the post processing. I have deliberately increased sun's brightness and saturation to bring viewer's eye forcefully to the board and then used human elements and small plants flock to draw attention from board to the monument.

I really like the distortion in the image, i'm not sure if this composition, processing and perspective distortion works here or not.

Please share your views on it.

Thank You

[Shadowman]

Raj,

I like it. I think the composition works.

[fotugraphy]

Raj,

I like it. I think the composition works.

Thanks a lot for your kind review and m really glad you like it

[FrankMi]

Hi Raj, I think distortion can work but maybe not so much with a straight-on shot such as this one. As this building is symmetrical, I would tend to shoot it symmetrical unless there was another shooting angle that produced a more compelling image.

For the sign, I frequently snap a separate image of the sign as a reminder of the pertinent facts associated with the subject. Once I have the image ready to post, I then use some of these facts as descriptive text to enhance the viewer's appreciation for the scene.

You are shooting into the sun. Is there a shooting angle that would cause the sun to form a glow or halo on part of the structure?

For a change, avoid shooting from YOUR eye level. Everybody does that. Experiment with high and low shooting angles for effect.

It is also a good idea, particularly if you can return for a reshoot, to make notes about conditions that might enhance the scene. One thing to consider is the condition of the sky. Would the tomb look better on a dreary day or a sunny one? With or without clouds or shadows? Would it be a better rendition at dusk or dawn during the Golden Hour or perhaps during the Blue Hour?

Just some 'what if' thoughts...

How would it look at dusk with a full moon rising above and to one side of the tomb? Or perhaps, with a special event that is associated with this structure? Is it possible that after a rain that there might be puddles about that could serve as mirrors and produce reflections of the tomb? What about with a thunder storm and lightning flashing in the background? Could there be a dramatic human element involved with this as the background?

I have probably rambled on for way to long but I hope that this will help you to consider possibilities that you might not have thought about.

[Manfred M]

Raj - I'm not sure if I like the tilting sign and tilting building in the shot. The shot doesn't "look right"; the perspective looks weird.

If that is the impact you want, okay then. If it were my shot I would try to straighten out the vertical lines on the building and sign as well as the horizontal lines on the building in post.

[fotugraphy]

Raj - I'm not sure if I like the tilting sign and tilting building in the shot. The shot doesn't "look right"; the perspective looks weird.

If that is the impact you want, okay then. If it were my shot I would try to straighten out the vertical lines on the building and sign as well as the horizontal lines on the building in post.

Thanks a lot for the review and the suggestion.

Did my best to correct the perspectives as suggested. Here is the corrected version... did some global adjustments in lightroom with highlights, shadows, whites and blacks.. No sharpening done.

[Shadowman]

Thanks a lot for the review and the suggestion.

Did my best to correct the perspectives as suggested. Here is the corrected version... did some global adjustments in lightroom with highlights, shadows, whites and blacks.. No sharpening done.

Has lost some of its flair, would work as a travel advert though.

[fotugraphy]

Has lost some of its flair, would work as a travel advert though.

Once again Thanks for the review Seems i have to be careful with the UWA shots with the perspectives.

[Manfred M]

Once again Thanks for the review Seems i have to be careful with the UWA shots with the perspectives.

Yes and no; UWA lenses are a lot of fun, but you have to be very careful when using them. If they are not square to the subject, you will get distortion. This is what view cameras and PA lenses are all about.

As for the PP work, try the warp tool and play with the two towers a bit more, the two different heights and the slope on the wall still looks strange.

[fotugraphy]

Hi Raj, I think distortion can work but maybe not so much with a straight-on shot such as this one. As this building is symmetrical, I would tend to shoot it symmetrical unless there was another shooting angle that produced a more compelling image.

For the sign, I frequently snap a separate image of the sign as a reminder of the pertinent facts associated with the subject. Once I have the image ready to post, I then use some of these facts as descriptive text to enhance the viewer's appreciation for the scene.

You are shooting into the sun. Is there a shooting angle that would cause the sun to form a glow or halo on part of the structure?

For a change, avoid shooting from YOUR eye level. Everybody does that. Experiment with high and low shooting angles for effect.

It is also a good idea, particularly if you can return for a reshoot, to make notes about conditions that might enhance the scene. One thing to consider is the condition of the sky. Would the tomb look better on a dreary day or a sunny one? With or without clouds or shadows? Would it be a better rendition at dusk or dawn during the Golden Hour or perhaps during the Blue Hour?

Just some 'what if' thoughts...

How would it look at dusk with a full moon rising above and to one side of the tomb? Or perhaps, with a special event that is associated with this structure? Is it possible that after a rain that there might be puddles about that could serve as mirrors and produce reflections of the tomb? What about with a thunder storm and lightning flashing in the background? Could there be a dramatic human element involved with this as the background?

I have probably rambled on for way to long but I hope that this will help you to consider possibilities that you might not have thought about.

Thanks a lot for the review and the suggestions. I have another shot with the sun glowing between the empty spaces of the monument. It was a shot below knee level, my bad it was not good enough to show that it is a little low shot, but i will work on it.

Actually the problem with this monument is there are tonns of symmetrical images are available on the internet. I clicked some abstracts and symmetrical shots too but i wanted to add some element in the scene to make the image more interesting.

Thanks for sharing the knowledge about reshoot with really great elements as suggested. I will surely work more on the compositions and adding some good elements to make the image more interesting.

[Shadowman]

Once again Thanks for the review Seems i have to be careful with the UWA shots with the perspectives.

Raj,

That's part of what gives the UWA some of its appeal. The key is getting closer to your subject, but I think your use of the sign added up for the distance you are from the tomb. The fact that you were looking for a different way of capturing the tomb means you'll come away with some very interesting images. The shots may at times not work, but at least you'll have challenged yourself.

[fotugraphy]

Yes and no; UWA lenses are a lot of fun, but you have to be very careful when using them. If they are not square to the subject, you will get distortion. This is what view cameras and PA lenses are all about.

As for the PP work, try the warp tool and play with the two towers a bit more, the two different heights and the slope on the wall still looks strange.

I'm learning to work with UWA lens and always keen to learn more from my mistakes. I will surely work on right pillar too in PP using wrap tool. Thanks for pointing the mistake out to make the shot better. Really appreciated

[fotugraphy]

Raj,

That's part of what gives the UWA some of its appeal. The key is getting closer to your subject, but I think your use of the sign added up for the distance you are from the tomb. The fact that you were looking for a different way of capturing the tomb means you'll come away with some very interesting images. The shots may at times not work, but at least you'll have challenged yourself.

Really motivating and helpful Now, i'm not dissapointed. I will revisit the monument for some unique shots for sure and that too with UWA and will try not to repeat my mistakes. thanks a ton

[Manfred M]

I tend to use a lot of guide lines to direct me when I use the warp tool. It often takes me several attempts to get things looking the way I want. My work often looks like this with all the guides:

[fotugraphy]

I tend to use a lot of guide lines to direct me when I use the warp tool. It often takes me several attempts to get things looking the way I want. My work often looks like this with all the guides:

Really appreciated the way you are helping me. I think i was doing the right thing with the guide lines when i tried to fix the perspectives.. I will work with the wrap tool too using guide lines too... Actually playing with the perspectives is something new to me but i will surely learn with more and more practice. I always tend to skip this step but from now i will take care of it right from the beginning. This screenshot with the guidelines diagram is really helpful. Seems i have to work more and more with the guidelines and correcting perspectives. Thanks a lot for sharing knowledge and experience.

[fotugraphy]

I tend to use a lot of guide lines to direct me when I use the warp tool. It often takes me several attempts to get things looking the way I want. My work often looks like this with all the guides:

Here is the corrected one just as suggested Thanks a lot, it was not possible without your help sir.