The Engine House

Gemma

This is a restored steam engine house that was built in the 1800s - it houses a stationary winding engine which was used for wagons carrying limestone (when full, of course) travelling up and down the steep incline. The flowers in the foreground are mostly cowslips.

Gemma

Oh, no, there hasn't been any replies. Does that mean the picture isn't very good?

Stumblebum

Picture is very nice! I liked it when I saw it earlier today. Both the subject and exposure are right on! This would be my CC: I make this mistake myself and have been corrected here by others.....I think the horizon needs to be evened out, and that would straighten out the Chimney too. If it was me, I would try two more things.....first just regular crop and take 10-15% from it in every direction. That will get you close to the main subject and still keep beautiful foreground and gorgeous sky. Another crop I would try is change the image to horizontal image only IF the chimney is not chopped off and the flowers are still there at bottom. It would get you even closer.

Finally, try adding vignetting.....you would be surprise how well it works especially since the picture is taken in bright sunny conditions. Cheers and keep em coming!

Gemma

Thank you very much.

The horizon should be level, but I did go by the verticals so I'll have another look and will also look at the crops you suggested - I took both a landscape and a portrait version of the building.

kdog

Subject and technicals are great, but not wild about the composition. Stumblebum had some good ideas about possible crops. Let's see the landscape composition!

Gemma

Thank you very much for commenting.

It isn't easy to get a good composition of this building as there are other buildings nearby and on the opposite side of the building there's a car park, shop and picnic tables.

Anyway, this is the landscape version.

nvr2low

on the first image your horizon is fine, it would take a tilt shift effect or lens to fix the chimney. what gets me with the image is the building is centered, I dont always follow the rule of thirds but with this image something needs to change. I would probably crop it so its a little lower right in the image if it was mine. there are some great clouds in the sky that keep it from being dead space.

Gemma

Many thanks, I shall have a look at the crop you've suggested and perhaps post it soon.

kdog

I like the landscape orientation much better! The tower is just in the right place, although it could use a bit more headroom. The clipped lightning rods on the tower are a slight detriment. I personally, would (a) add a bit of sky in Photoshop over them (or recrop if you have the area in the original), (b) cut a bit off the top of the rods so they don't extend out of the frame, or (c) just clone out the rods completely.

Gemma

Thanks very much. I'm afraid I clipped the lightning rods when I took the shot - my eyesight isn't very good and I just didn't see them until I looked at it on my computer. I've tried your suggestion (a) though and used content aware fill to give a bit more sky. I think the version I'll post now is the one I prefer myself but it would be good to know what other people think.

I've also added a slight vignette as suggested earlier.

Earache

Now you got it! The final one is very nice
Good work on the edit!

kdog

Perfect!

Content-aware is the bomb, isn't it?

Stumblebum

You got a winner now! Awesome!

nvr2low

nice job on that last one, by far the best in the group!

Gemma

Thank you all very much.