Landmark, River Oak Theater, Houston

marikris

I'm not very strong with landscape/cityscape, so I really need strong CC and ideas. My assignment was to take this picture for a lifestyle magazine, and I was told it would be on the back cover. The deadline is in 2 weeks and I was told to be creative lol.



I took some pictures earlier tonight, and 11 mosquito bites later, I managed to get this HDR image @ ISO 1600 f/14. What do you think about the composition and the processing? What don't you like or would change? Any other advice? It's my first foray here at the Landscape forum

I'm planning to take more pictures at dusk, dawn or sunset so the sky isn't so black. I know they want to choose from at least 5 images. Night time is not my forte, so this is proving a challenge lol.

Thanks for your help!

CoryUT

Hi marikris!

I like the colors in this image. As far as HDR images go, the shadows are pretty dark and the highlights a bit harsh (they are lights at night, after all). That said, it doesn't look at all like an HDR image...so if that's what you were going for, good job

Compositionally it feels a little bit off. To me, it seems like part of the scene is missing. This might be due to the pot that's cut through the middle on the right hand side. I think maybe the transition from red to blue makes it feel almost like two images, and that maybe could be solved by a slightly different perspective or by pulling the image in our out a bit.

Overall I think it's a good shot, and I'm really just trying to pick at things that may improve it.

marikris

CoryUT wrote:

Hi marikris!

...It doesn't look at all like an HDR image...so if that's what you were going for, good job

Oh yes, that is what I wanted. Even though it was processed as an HDR, I wanted only enough effect so that my exposures are somewhat balanced (otherwise, it was too tricky for me not getting the neon lights and all those other lights to be way blown out).

I do know what you mean by the composition. The more I look at it, the more aware I am that there seems to be two vanishing points (one on the left going into the theater doors and another on the right where there is a red dot above the right hand plant) and that is skewing the perspective a little. I'll see if I can crop it for something better. I might just take out that half a plant.

Thank you for your help! I normally shoot portraits so it's trial and error for me here. (Not to say it's not trial and error for my portraiture either lol, but I feel a little more lost )

schmoo

Hi marikris and that's just awesome that you're expanding your repertoire. It's hard to beat a good night city shot and I love the feeling I get from this. The scene doesn't tell any kind of story to me, even if the atmosphere is nice. I think perhaps shooting the theater in landscape orientation would have captured more of the shape of the lights better, but it's all trial and error.

I hope as the weather gets cooler and the mosquitoes go away you can continue to shoot the city at night.

marikris

Thank you schmoo, I appreciate that. I had originally wanted to portray the movement of the people as they entered the door, but the HDR blended them too well together till you can barely make them out. I do have this other one. It's a single exposure, not as punchy and imo slightly soft and ran through noise ninja. I'll give it to the magazine as a choice, but what do you guys think?

Still 1600 ISO f/14