Image worth pursuing ?

[gregj1763]

I often work at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston. They have two sites, Royal park museum which is more the art gallery and this site at Inveresk.
The Inveresk site use to be a railway workshop from the 1890's through to it's closure in the mid 1960's and is more a hands on sort of museum. A great place to work, the history and architecture fascinate me.
I took a photo on the iPhone today to see if you thought the image has any merit and is worthwhile taking the dslr back to hopefully improve.
Today reminded me very much of when I used to run around this area as a kid in the 70's. It was totally desolate, usually a bleak day like today was, and felt very much like a ghost town.
First image is the original then I have done some tidying and tried a couple of different crops. I tried a B&W version but I'm garbage at it and wasn't happy with the result.
Any C&C most welcome.
Cheers, Greg.

[tao2]

Hi Greg,

There's enough detail in the 'phone shots tae make me think that'd be a great subject. Get waaay back and get all the building in, vertical and horizontal (if possible). Also way close for the textures on the road and building. Definitely B+W as well. Try getting all round the building as well as inside it, there's bound tae be hidden gems ye haven't seen there.

If ah didn't live several hundred miles away, ah'd be down there with ye.

[Shadowman]

If the early morning or late evening light hits it just right and you get a more angled view, yes it would make for a good subject.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Greg,

My first thought was to suggest that the angle shown doesn't inspire me at all - it seems to have been shot from a standing height at a fairly 'natural angle' viewpoint/subject distance. Add to that flat lighting from the overcast sky and the lack of a definite subject and it becomes clear that 'just' replicating this shot with a DSLR isn't worth the effort.

However, as others have noted, the subject does have merit, so I suggest you do take a DSLR back and a selection of lenses - especially an Ultra Wide Angle (UWA) if you have one.

Then try/imagine shooting at different focal lengths and heights above ground to vary the viewpoint from 'normal'. If your 'staff' status/position allows you to control access, perhaps use step ladder or similar to allow shooting from a higher angle for some (stay safe though). Get close with the UWA to a certain architectural feature so it becomes the 'subject' and the rest of the building in shot is the 'context'. Shoot others from further back with a longer focal length, square on, making more of the repeating patterns of the 'grid' and/or opportunities for framing shots in/with the structure.

Also consider shooting in different/better light - e.g. does the sun 'graze' the surface of the walls at a certain time of day to provide better texture in the walls?

.. and yes, definitely 'think B&W' (while there) for some - shoot for shape, tonality and texture. It allows more freedom from 'unfortunate distractions' such as the yellow thing inside on left of first shot.

There are some ideas to be going on with

[Manfred M]

Greg - you are obviously passionate about the place, so it is definitely something that you should consider photographing. I don't think that your iPhone shots are the way to go; these are snapshots and no more. The capabilities of that tool are very much limiting you.

I expect that you want to do a portrait of the place, so approach the shoot this way. Explore the place with your camera and choose focal lengths, camera angles, lighting and compositional approaches that are appropriate for this place. It's about the building and it's features; rather than the sky and foreground. Start with a straight on ultrawide angle shot or shoot along the length of the building (the diffuse light in these shots is great for certain approaches, and terrible for others)., Explore extreme detail closeups of parts of the building; go out there an tell its story.

[IzzieK]

Yes, to me it is worth coming back to for another shoot session. It has merits.

And btw, I am still waiting for those rainforest shots from you...you have great ones there worth visiting to on one of your weekend off from work...

[gregj1763]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions.
At present my widest lens is a 28-75mm Sony f/2.8 so that is what I will work with for the moment.
8:00 am is the earliest I could in there if I twist an arm as operating hours are 10-4
Though it definitely won't be today it is pouring with rain
Perhaps I could take a pot plant with me and kill two birds and get Izzie's rainforest shots
Cheers, Greg