Istanbul under grey clouds

[Gokhan Oruc]

Hi people,
Here's some Istanbul photos, C&C please!
Cheers

1.


2.


3.


4.

[MiniChris]

I think if I was to pick on any one thing, it would be a lack of a dead-on focus point. Only the first image has that, but even that almost gets lost in trying to figure out what the buildings are in the background. In the second image is it the seagull, the boat or the bridge you wish to feature? Third - bridge or boats? and the last one, boat or fishermen?

Another critique would center on bringing up the exposure levels a bit on each of these photos. I've recreated the first one with a bigger emphasis on the boat by slightly over-enhancing its whiteness against what is a very busy background (next time shoot with a lowered depth of field). I also cropped it substantially to reconfirm its place of importance in the scene.

This is just one possibility to explore and by no means should be accepted as the only way...hope you like what I have done.

[Gokhan Oruc]

Hi Chris,
Thanks for your interest. I actually aimed at all of the subjects you counted above. I thought, I should give emphasis on two-three subjects in order to give an idea about the city, cause they are the symbols of the city. Maybe I have some problems with the concept of composition.

Weather conditions created some problems, but I need to have a knowledge about post-shooting process by now. Which program did you use? The picture seems better.

[MiniChris]

I think my crop and ensuing adjustments gave both a nice sense of prominence, but in a scene such as this, with a arge moving object in the foreground, one has to start making choices. Had you opened up one or two f/stops and decreased the clarity in the background, I think the boat part of the image would have more impact. If your intent was to do a "travelogue (magazine type shot)," then narrowing the focus as I did with the crop, will help to show both items as having importance..."visit so and so and ride the high speed ferry from...."

[Geoff F]

Gokhan, I think that with a little bit of careful cropping you can 'have your cake and eat it' (UK saying).

To me there isn't a lot of interest in the far left side of the first photo; so it would be possible to crop a bit wider than Chris's version to show both the main items of interest from the skyline but still have the boat as a focal point. Albeit, slightly further to the left than would be absolutely ideal. But I think it would still work.

You could also lose a bit from top and bottom if you want to retain the same image size ratio.

And I suspect that by approximately following Chris's editing suggestions you can get some good results from the other photos. But don't overdo the brightness, I like the idea of it being a 'gloomy day'.

I suspect that cropping the 4th photo slightly on the left side, bringing the boat's bow closer to the photo edge would help to concentrate the view towards the fishermen.

These photos, however, aren't far out; they just need a slight extra tweak.

[Gokhan Oruc]

Thanks for all your C&Cs guys. They will be very useful I believe...
Cheers

[rpcrowe]

Istanbul is one of the places to visit on my "Bucket List". I would love to spend a week or so in that city attempting to capture its people...