Long Live Texas

[Barbara Ponder]

Had a field trip to the State Capital in Austin with my son. Took these shots from the window of the visitors center. Landscape is proving difficult for me so any CC are welcome and appreciated. I had an especially hard time with making it straight/level.

[Texas Dave]

Exquisite photo Barbara!

[AlwaysOnAuto]

Doesn't your camera have a 'grid lines' option in the menu?
I find that helps me somewhat get them level/horizontal/vertical ie STRAIGHT!

Nice shot.

[Barbara Ponder]

Exquisite photo Barbara!

Thanks Dave!

[Barbara Ponder]

Doesn't your camera have a 'grid lines' option in the menu?
I find that helps me somewhat get them level/horizontal/vertical ie STRAIGHT!

Nice shot.

Alan, It does but for some reason I just can't seem to keep things straight and even when using the leveling tool with grids have a hard time with it. For what it's worth can't cut a straight line to save my life either!

[Geoff F]

The only very little thing I wonder about with these scenes is the flag on the right side of #1 which is very close to the edge.

I find any of the levels indicators which are options on my camera just confuse me so I always turn them off. While I'm concentrating on tipping the camera to get an artificial line level I too often miss out on something else which is a much more serious problem. Or the scene has changed and I haven't noticed it. A static scene shot with a tripod does give sufficient time to have a glance at the camera spirit level.

At one time I really struggled to get level horizons when taking shots from a moving boat but after a bit of practice which always included saying to myself 'Check the horizon before pressing the shutter' I now get fairly close most times.

But even when shooting with the camera level you can still have problems with lens distortion around the sides. Get the central verticals upright then worry about anything else during editing when a bit of skew and crop is often necessary. That is another lesson which I learned long ago; leave a bit of space for cropping during editing.

[AlwaysOnAuto]

For what it's worth can't cut a straight line to save my life either!

And that is why they invented rotary cutters!

[Barbara Ponder]

The only very little thing I wonder about with these scenes is the flag on the right side of #1 which is very close to the edge.

I find any of the levels indicators which are options on my camera just confuse me so I always turn them off. While I'm concentrating on tipping the camera to get an artificial line level I too often miss out on something else which is a much more serious problem. Or the scene has changed and I haven't noticed it. A static scene shot with a tripod does give sufficient time to have a glance at the camera spirit level.

At one time I really struggled to get level horizons when taking shots from a moving boat but after a bit of practice which always included saying to myself 'Check the horizon before pressing the shutter' I now get fairly close most times.

But even when shooting with the camera level you can still have problems with lens distortion around the sides. Get the central verticals upright then worry about anything else during editing when a bit of skew and crop is often necessary. That is another lesson which I learned long ago; leave a bit of space for cropping during editing.

Thanks Geoff! The flag unfortunately was a casualty of my not being level I had a bit of room there but lost when straightening

[Wavelength]

Great images

[Barbara Ponder]

Great images

Thanks Nandakumar!

[Krawuntzel]

Hello Barbara
I am not commenting on Texas, I would rather stay with your "leveling" problems. Around 80 % of my photos - not taken on a tripod - are "leveled" from left top to right down (I am right-handed). I noticed this some years ago and made out the culprit: its me: I "hit" the release button too "excitedly" to make the picture. And I am still trying to remember that I do that - the thrill of the moment is overwhelming - the horizon not as should be. In many cases you can correct this, sometimes I (virtually) hit my lens on my head.
To your photos: the second (wider view) is more to my liking; I would "eliminate" from the bottom so the path is excluded.
Erwin
Erwin

[Shadowman]

These are more about architecture to me, so well done.

[chrisjaz]

Superb detail , lovely tones to !

[Barbara Ponder]

Hello Barbara
I am not commenting on Texas, I would rather stay with your "leveling" problems. Around 80 % of my photos - not taken on a tripod - are "leveled" from left top to right down (I am right-handed). I noticed this some years ago and made out the culprit: its me: I "hit" the release button too "excitedly" to make the picture. And I am still trying to remember that I do that - the thrill of the moment is overwhelming - the horizon not as should be. In many cases you can correct this, sometimes I (virtually) hit my lens on my head.
To your photos: the second (wider view) is more to my liking; I would "eliminate" from the bottom so the path is excluded.
Erwin
Erwin

Thanks for the tips! and now that you mention it I know I jerk as I press the shutter, it stems from BIF captures and trying to move quickly. I need to remember the building won't go anywhere!

[Barbara Ponder]

These are more about architecture to me, so well done.

Thanks John!

[Barbara Ponder]

Superb detail , lovely tones to !

Thanks Chris!

[Mike Buckley]

These look fine to me except for the flag on the right side already mentioned. If it was my photo, I would digitally remove the flag and pole.

My camera has an electronic level that is displayed in the view finder and the rear LCD. Works like a charm. I would never go back to a camera that doesn't have one. You might want to consider double checking your camera manual to determine if yours also has one. It's not as if my camera model is the latest and greatest; it was discontinued awhile ago and the pertinent model currently being made is two generations later.

[Barbara Ponder]

These look fine to me except for the flag on the right side already mentioned. If it was my photo, I would digitally remove the flag and pole.

My camera has an electronic level that is displayed in the view finder and the rear LCD. Works like a charm. I would never go back to a camera that doesn't have one. You might want to consider double checking your camera manual to determine if yours also has one. It's not as if my camera model is the latest and greatest; it was discontinued awhile ago and the pertinent model currently being made is two generations later.

Thanks Mike I will get rid of the flag, as a Texan I found it hard to do but think you are right My camera has a level but I need to learn to use it. The only reason I know it exists is I have hit a button expecting to see something and it appeared instead. Guess I will do as you suggest and break down and read the manual.

[dje]

Impressive building Barbara, nicely captured. The first has great detail of the building and the second with the park in front shows the building off very well.

Dave

[Tom Barry]

The view suggests you were standing on the steps to the visitor center, which I think is the best place to get a good view of most of the giant building. These look pretty darn good to me. I, too, have always had a problem with leveling, with or without grids or other aids. That's why I bought DXO Labs' ViewPoint filter, which will straighten even some really messed-up photos as well as take care of lens distortion if your camera model doesn't. A trick my leveling inability has taught me over the years is to leave plenty of room around the subject, if you want to wind up with the entire building (or whatever) because if you straighten in post-processing, you will necessarily lose some space, as you noted above with the state flag at the edge.