DSS 79 - Cathedral Lights

sapphire73 · June 16, 2011

Once a year, they light up a nearby cathedral. This was the first time that I've tried to photograph it (all lit up) and it was challenging to get good shots SOOC. It may not have helped that I was using a 10-22 mm lens for this subject. My default jpeg setting had been for portrait style and I switched part way through to camera standard (giving the darker sky). I have been shooting raw for a couple of years now, so I'd welcome input on color, etc.

I may end up trying to get some other shots but have very little free time over the next two weeks so it would be great to have some input on this initial photo shoot.

3. From the Garden [still have to find and switch this one with true SOOC]

It seems that word spread about this photo opportunity as there were more photographers with tripods than I have ever seen in one place!

Gretchen

Edit: I viewed these in Lightroom and exported them for upload in SmugMug just to compare my options, not realizing that some saturation had been added (without my intentionally applying it) so I am switching out the shots that are real possibilities with the true SOOC versions.

PedalGirl · June 16, 2011

Great Pics!

Cambyses · June 16, 2011

Very nice shots... I think I like them in this order 3-1-2-4

The problem I see with 4 is loss of details in the shadows on the lower left, and a bit of burned highlights on the top.

torrbrae · June 16, 2011

Great shots - my preference is for #3. Love the deepness of the sky, the colours in the foreground and the detail in the cathedral.
#4 is a nice angle, but find the brightness on the tower distracting.

powder · June 16, 2011

I love! number 3. I'm glad I didn't even think of taking my camera up there last night

But you have some great ones. ~Joy

travelways · June 16, 2011

I love best #3 too, but maybe you can get a little farther and take the whole top of the cathedral, and a little sky above.

sapphire73 · June 16, 2011

Thanks for the helpful input. I bracketed these shots and tried different compositions, so here is another option.

6. Across the Garden Path (you can see the people walking by in these last two)

Cheers,
Gretchen

red_zone · June 16, 2011

I love #3 - colors are spot on and I like the angle you've got. #5 is too much, and blown-out garden lights detract.

Also really like #7.

Dirquist · June 16, 2011

Im a huge fan of #3. Something about it is very striking. Looks very professional to me as an amateur.

Sorin · June 16, 2011

I vote for #6. 3 is a runner up, but the shadows from the tree right in the center diminishes the beauty IMO.

PedalGirl · June 16, 2011

#3 is still the best in my opinion. #5 isn't as clear and you loose some detail in the pulled back version.

flashfilter · June 16, 2011

These pictures are insanely awesome. Nice work, great setting.

sapphire73 · June 17, 2011

Really appreciate all the input! Went to this cathedral again tonight. Just a handful of photographers and other visitors this time - perhaps because it was threatening to rain. Shot in manual mode using live view to help me frame the shots. Upped the sharpening a notch in the camera settings. It seems that these are a bit sharper than the ones from last night, except that the wind was blowing the foliage tonight. What do you think?

8. From the Garden [true SOOC version now]

9. Cathedral Window [true SOOC version now]

10a. Towering [can't use this one after all]

[Edit: When I went to enter this shot, I realized that some saturation had been bumped when I was using some software to view them, so my entry is a bit "flatter" than I had realized. Here is the true SOOC shot. 10a is not an option....

10b. Towering - true SOOC shot - current entry

11. Side Door [true SOOC version now]

Thanks,
Gretchen

PedalGirl · June 17, 2011

They're all great!

You're as obsessed with this as I am! Having a hard time choosing my entry as well.

WhatSheSaw · June 17, 2011

I think you chose my favorite, although Side Door is a close second. Great photo op!

ic4u · June 17, 2011

WhatSheSaw wrote: »

I think you chose my favorite, although Side Door is a close second. Great photo op!

billseye · June 20, 2011

Nice stuff all around. SOOC can be frustrating, when just the slightest of correction would improve something you don't like.

I do like #3, but would add that the foreground highlights create attention where you really don't want it.

Numbers 8 and 10 are very nice and would go to the top of my list (10 especially, because it seems to have the least blown highlights and the lighted foreground seems to have more interest.

Again, it's gonna come down to personal preference, I think. There's lots of good choices!

sapphire73 · June 20, 2011

Thanks for your input on these, Bill. We got back from Pittsburgh tonight just in time for me to get a few more shots - this time with the 18-200mm lens to minimize the distortion and utilizing the in camera electronic level. There was also a nice mottled sky tonight (partly cloudy), which is blue in the earlier shots. I also bumped up the saturation a bit in the camera settings. Will post some of these tomorrow when I've had more time to look through them.... I know that some folks really don't like the distortion of a wide angle lens, and I can't correct for it in post-processing this time around so I wanted to get some shots with another lens.

sapphire73 · June 20, 2011

I tried to reshoot a few of these last night after realizing that the shots I had posted earlier in this thread were not truly SOOC. (The saturation had been bumped when I exported out of Lightroom to view in SmugMug....) Would be great to have your input.

Thanks,
Gretchen

12. Cathedral - TOOC (Tilted Out of Camera)

13. Cathedral Tower (new shot with different settings)

14. The Side Door

Note: I have several variations on #14 with the tower a bit brighter or a bit darker...

travelways · June 20, 2011

I like 14. The Side Door more

rbustraen · June 20, 2011

Personally I like #11 for it's composition and the lit doorway.

billseye · June 20, 2011

I like 13 and 14. If you have different takes on #14, I'd look carefully at the exterior light on the right side of the door, which is blown out in the posted version. It might be hard to find a SOOC exposure that will cover the full range of light in that view.

sapphire73 · June 20, 2011

Appreciate the helpful input! Going into a busy week and won't have much time for photography....

Here are two more exposures of the side door to compare with #14 (copied here for comparison). It was challenging to figure out the best exposure for this shot and I bracketed it several different ways.... The light is still blown out in the others but less so.

14. The Side Door A [as seen in earlier post]

15. Side Door B (best shot for minimizing extent exterior light is blown out)

16. Side Door C (compromise between A and

red_zone · June 20, 2011

With the new crop of photos, I'm going to have to change my favorite to #11 side door, although #13 is a better version of the one I liked initially. I love the door opening out on to the lower level in 11, it highlights two different planes, making the picture look deeper, or more 3-D or something. I think what I'm trying to say is that the light spilling onto the pavers from the doorway adds interest to the foreground, and makes what I think is a superior picture. They are all amazingly well done, though!

red_zone · June 20, 2011

Looks like you've slipped in new photos while I was writing my comment. Now my favorite is 15B! I like how the tower fills the frame a little more than the original. All other comments still apply!

sapphire73 · June 20, 2011

Thanks for your input on these, Jake!

richtersl · June 20, 2011

I'm partial to #8. I really like the softer light in that one. Is this Bryn Athyn? If yes, try to get inside on a sunny day and shoot the altar. The colors shining through the purple stained glass windows onto the altar are spectacular! I took this shot in 2003 and digital cameras have evolved considerably since then so you should be able to do 1000x better.

sapphire73 · June 20, 2011

Thanks for your input on #8, Linda. And yes, this is the Bryn Athyn Cathedral. Lots of great photo ops there and in the surrounding area! (I found out that two photography clubs were at the cathedral on the first night I tried getting these shots!) I haven't ever tried taking a photo of the altar but that purple light is gorgeous. Glad you got a good shot of it!

powder · June 20, 2011

I like your original view better...number 13. Rats about the auto bump-up, but 13 looks good to my eyes.

sapphire73 · June 20, 2011

Thanks for your input on these, powder. #13 is from last night's shoot and I did bump up the saturation in the camera settings - hoping it would have a little more punch!

GretaPics · June 20, 2011

I am drawn to #14, Side Door, due to the way you framed it and the overall lighting. Nice series overall. Kinda magical at night. GP

DSS 79 - Cathedral Lights

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