[LucyGoosey]

I took this shot off my balcony thinking what an interesting skyline. I was wondering what I could do with my newly acquired 40mm da. What do you guys think? Good, bad?

Attached Images

 

[jamescp]

I think it's a great shot. I really like the sky and the chimney. The darkness makes me think of the early days of the industrial revolution.
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[JeffJS]

When I saw your title, I thought, Oh great. Another beach sunset (Yawn) but I have to say, I really like this shot. Well done!

[Tamia]

That skyline makes the shot. I think it's great.

[LucyGoosey]

jamescp, the shot is definitely an area that was home to the industrial age. Still dealing with the side effects of that time now. If anyone watched the Sopranos show, then you can probably guess where this is.

[Tim_R]

Hard to tell from the screen image if there's detail in either the bottom or top bands. If not, then I think this great image could benefit from a format change, cropping off some from top and some from bottom, keeping the much-quoted "rule of thirds in mind while doing so. Other than that personal opinion, I must say I LIKE this shot. Catching the grimness (and probable griminess) of an industrial area, combined with the naturalness of the rays and clouds makes a great contrast.

Tim

[Ash]

Not bad Lucy.
What makes this shot OK but not great is the lack of clear subject matter, which is very small in the frame. Somewhat bland, the silhouette is not boldly brought forth by the sunbeams.
Perhaps some PP work could be done on this one to accentuate the details.

[jkwhawk]

I really like this. A LOT. It tends to be a little dark in the foreground and I'd like it better if it was cropped a little. With your permission I'd like to show you a couple of adjustments that will make it look different. More appealing? I don't know. For me, yes. Maybe not for all.

Jim

[LucyGoosey]

Go ahead, Jim. Curious to see through someone else's eyes.

[jkwhawk]

This was cropped and had the lighting adjusted in Photoshop Elements. I've had a lot of photos that were taken very late and were very dark. I liked them. But I also found they often contained another picture. I can describe exactly what I did if you would like. This took about 2 minutes.
Jim

[Miguel]

Hi LucyGoosey,


There is a lot of potential in the location, and your shot is a nice start. It is very difficult to properly evaluate such a big looking image via a small web jpeg. In addition, a location like this cries out for a larger format that would provide more detail, but it's good to use the tools one has.

Some improvements:
-I'd crop the top by 15% at least. A large black swath doesn't do most images any good because black dominates, and in this image it's the light that matters most.
-I'd also bring it in on the right side by another 10-15% to the more identifiable buildings. The key to is to retain the sun rays sufficiently.
-The basic problem with the image is that it's just too dark. The neat sun rays aren't enough to carry the shot of this scale. The silhouettes of the buildings in the foreground are more of a tease--I think revealing more details exponentially adds interest in the overall image.
-How to do that is a different issue. One way would be to shoot this with a graduated ND filter; another way would be to use software to dodge the dark areas.
-For greater detail and depth I would suggest using a lens with a longer focal length and a tripod and shoot sections of the scene. Then stitch them together using software. Since this is your balcony, you will have multiple opportunities in the future.

It's a great concept very worthy of trying again and again.

M

[axl]

I don't think I'd change a thing. Very good shot IMO