St Pauls

[AMHPhotography]

[IMG] St Pauls by Andy Holmes Photography, on Flickr[/IMG]

[DigiDiva]

Sorry, my browser isn't showing the image.

[AMHPhotography]

well - that was really hard work!

Hopefully now fully viewable!

[markgozz]

Sorry about this but I really don't think the composition works at all , it makes it look like everything is crammed into the top half of the image and even then you have clipped too many bits off the top of buildings and cranes .
I don't know what settings you used or if you used a tripod or not but the image looks very soft when I view the larger image , it's a real shame as it looks like it could of been a really nice shot .
If you could post your kit and settings we might be able to help with some helpful tips .

Mark

[AMHPhotography]

Ha, no worries at all Mark, I need some honest feedback so thank you!!

The picture was not taken using a tripod, however I did try and steady myself as best I could on the Embankment wall.

I was using my Canon 500D with the 55 - 250 lens set at 74mm on Aperture Priority. Exposure was 3.2 seconds at f25. ISO was at 1600.

Thanks again for your feedback.

[AMHPhotography]

Should also have said that the composition was an attempt to get a slightly alternative image of St Pauls, but hey if it doesn't work, it doesn't work!

[greenwing]

What Mark said. Too much clipping at the top, no interest in the foreground. Too much noise - f/13 and ISO 400 would have given the same shutter speed, less noise, and similar DOF.

[StephenBatey]

I think that the composition does work, for a number of reasons (and as a corollary to that, I obviously disagree with the comments about the foreground).

My suggestions for improvement would be to use a tripod, include just a little more at the top (but keep the bottom half intact) and slightly burn in the area around St Paul's to balance the light.

[markgozz]

Originally Posted by AMHPhotography

Ha, no worries at all Mark, I need some honest feedback so thank you!!

The picture was not taken using a tripod, however I did try and steady myself as best I could on the Embankment wall.

I was using my Canon 500D with the 55 - 250 lens set at 74mm on Aperture Priority. Exposure was 3.2 seconds at f25. ISO was at 1600.

Thanks again for your feedback.

First of all WOW well done on getting it as sharp as you did with a 3.2 second exposure but my first thought was the same as greenwing about the aperture and iso or did you have a reason for those settings ? .

Personal taste is always going to play a big part in composition but I find if you zoom out a bit more than you think you need you can always crop in to get your optimal composition , the clipped buildings are the reason why the image looks cramped to me .

Mark

[StephenBatey]

IMO personal taste determines whether as a viewer you like or dislike something, and as an artist how you frame your statement. As I said, I did have 5 reasons for liking the composition as it was; but I've learned from bitter experience to never give reasons.

Also, I find that paying careful attention to the edges of the frame (and knowing what you want) works for me, as well as reducing the need to crop and hence lose quality by extra enlargement. This presupposes always using a tripod and spending time in thought first rather than later.