Cityscape NYC Skyline

**suraswami** · 11-09-2019, 04:19 PM - **3 Likes**

Weather was perfect and was lucky enough to take this picture.

I am just a casual photographer, wanted to learn if I could have done better. My friend was commenting the photo is good but technically not correct.

So wanted feedback, may be next time I can try it out.

Y.goussyra · 11-09-2019, 06:02 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by suraswami

Weather was perfect and was lucky enough to take this picture.

I am just a casual photographer, wanted to learn if I could have done better. My friend was commenting the photo is good but technically not correct.

So wanted feedback, may be next time I can try it out.

good job congratulations, even for me you left a lot of space to the expanse of water the sky is tight in the frame, for me 1/3 water, 1/3 building, 1/3 sky
have a nice day

**whammerhead** · 11-09-2019, 06:42 PM - **1 Like**

Lovely shot. Agree with Y.goussyra but hey, we're always learning...

**PJ1** · 11-09-2019, 11:06 PM - **1 Like**

Maybe technically (as others have said). But my first reaction was that I liked it!

**suraswami** · 11-09-2019, 11:23 PM

Thanks for the tips. My friend suggested to keep the tallest building either to the left or right, preferably to the right, since the eyes scan left to right. But my idea of the picture is to draw the attention towards WTC, that is why I kept it in the middle.

I stitched few photos to get this pano shot, is it any better?

József · 11-10-2019, 05:46 AM - **1 Like**

The first than mor exciting. It expresses the contrast between the city and nature. Not always the regular is good.

**Robin** · 11-10-2019, 08:12 AM - **1 Like**

I like both images, they each have their own appeal. One of the advantages of having more water in the frame, is it leads your eyes towards the city. Also, the stars are interesting little highlights. I didn't know you could see stars in NYC!

fg-one · 11-11-2019, 01:42 AM - **2 Likes**

Very nice shot but framing could be improved: too much empty space on the left and bottom IMO. Also, if you move the exposure up a bit, the stars above the buildings become more visible. A graduated filter on the water ensured it was not too bright.

József · 11-11-2019, 04:10 AM

getting better

**suraswami** · 11-11-2019, 08:12 AM

On Day 1, I took this picture when we were having dinner on Roof Top restaurant, Hyatt House. I didn't have my normal Tripod, I used my travel tripod and placed the setup on the rails hoping the camera will not fall 20 floors and disintegrate!!

This is a 20sec exposure.

**UncleVanya** · 11-11-2019, 08:31 AM

Nice discussion.

József · 11-11-2019, 10:37 AM

Nice shoot, I'd cut it up and right to the purple part

**othar** · 11-12-2019, 07:35 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by suraswami

Weather was perfect and was lucky enough to take this picture.

I am just a casual photographer, wanted to learn if I could have done better. My friend was commenting the photo is good but technically not correct.

So wanted feedback, may be next time I can try it out.

I would say from a technical perspective you did almost everything right -> it's sharp maybe a tad underexposed (but even that is up for discussion) white balance is fine too. The only problem seems to be the framing and that is more of a personal taste thing and not so much a technical issue in my opinion.

Yes it's called the "rule" of thirds and then there is the golden ratio and I don't know how many rules more, but those are just tools you can use to your liking you don't have to (not that they aren't usefull for certain situations but they shouldn't restrict you)

Now let me stop rambling and cut to the chase:
I don't have a problem with your choice placing the WTC somewhat in the center of the frame but I think there is a little too much water in the image (crop away from the bottom and if you wanna keep your aspect ratio maybe from the left)

Your panorama could use more space on top in my opinion (the tip of the WTC is somewhat too close to the edge)

Your last picture (or your first attempt) should for my taste either show more foreground and less sky or no foreground at all. If you wan't to show the foreground a slightly lower vantage point might be interesting too, so the space between foreground and background shrinks somewhat.

That said I still like all the images

**suraswami** · 11-12-2019, 08:39 AM

Thanks all for the inputs, hopefully I get another chance to go there and it is clear night like this.

I have cropped the images and hopefully these look better. For the Pano, I don't have enough space on the top portion of the picture. I could only get little bit more sky.

**UncleVanya** · 11-12-2019, 02:57 PM - **2 Likes**

I'm a contrarian. I like the original due to the reflections.

11-09-2019, 04:19 PM - 3 Likes	#1
suraswami Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 419	NYC Skyline Lens: Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM Camera: K-50 Photo Location: Jersey City ISO: 400 Shutter Speed: Above 6s Aperture: F11 Weather was perfect and was lucky enough to take this picture. I am just a casual photographer, wanted to learn if I could have done better. My friend was commenting the photo is good but technically not correct. So wanted feedback, may be next time I can try it out.

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11-09-2019, 06:02 PM - 1 Like	#2
Y.goussyra Senior Member Join Date: May 2019 Location: Agadir city -Morocco Photos: Gallery Posts: 210	Originally posted by suraswami Weather was perfect and was lucky enough to take this picture. I am just a casual photographer, wanted to learn if I could have done better. My friend was commenting the photo is good but technically not correct. So wanted feedback, may be next time I can try it out. good job congratulations, even for me you left a lot of space to the expanse of water the sky is tight in the frame, for me 1/3 water, 1/3 building, 1/3 sky have a nice day

11-09-2019, 06:42 PM - 1 Like	#3
whammerhead Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Belfast Posts: 128	Lovely shot. Agree with Y.goussyra but hey, we're always learning...

11-09-2019, 11:06 PM - 1 Like	#4
PJ1 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Toowoomba, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,482	Maybe technically (as others have said). But my first reaction was that I liked it!

11-09-2019, 11:23 PM	#5
suraswami Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 419 Original Poster	Thanks for the tips. My friend suggested to keep the tallest building either to the left or right, preferably to the right, since the eyes scan left to right. But my idea of the picture is to draw the attention towards WTC, that is why I kept it in the middle. I stitched few photos to get this pano shot, is it any better?

11-10-2019, 05:46 AM - 1 Like	#6
József Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Photos: Albums Posts: 237	The first than mor exciting. It expresses the contrast between the city and nature. Not always the regular is good.

11-10-2019, 08:12 AM - 1 Like	#7
Robin Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Pietermaritzburg Photos: Gallery Posts: 432	I like both images, they each have their own appeal. One of the advantages of having more water in the frame, is it leads your eyes towards the city. Also, the stars are interesting little highlights. I didn't know you could see stars in NYC!

11-11-2019, 04:10 AM	#9
József Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Photos: Albums Posts: 237	getting better

11-11-2019, 08:31 AM	#11
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,398	Nice discussion.

11-11-2019, 10:37 AM	#12
József Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Photos: Albums Posts: 237	Nice shoot, I'd cut it up and right to the purple part

11-12-2019, 07:35 AM - 1 Like	#13
othar Site Supporter Join Date: May 2014 Location: Linz Photos: Albums Posts: 3,098	Originally posted by suraswami Weather was perfect and was lucky enough to take this picture. I am just a casual photographer, wanted to learn if I could have done better. My friend was commenting the photo is good but technically not correct. So wanted feedback, may be next time I can try it out. I would say from a technical perspective you did almost everything right -> it's sharp maybe a tad underexposed (but even that is up for discussion) white balance is fine too. The only problem seems to be the framing and that is more of a personal taste thing and not so much a technical issue in my opinion. Yes it's called the "rule" of thirds and then there is the golden ratio and I don't know how many rules more, but those are just tools you can use to your liking you don't have to (not that they aren't usefull for certain situations but they shouldn't restrict you) Now let me stop rambling and cut to the chase: I don't have a problem with your choice placing the WTC somewhat in the center of the frame but I think there is a little too much water in the image (crop away from the bottom and if you wanna keep your aspect ratio maybe from the left) Your panorama could use more space on top in my opinion (the tip of the WTC is somewhat too close to the edge) Your last picture (or your first attempt) should for my taste either show more foreground and less sky or no foreground at all. If you wan't to show the foreground a slightly lower vantage point might be interesting too, so the space between foreground and background shrinks somewhat. That said I still like all the images

11-12-2019, 02:57 PM - 2 Likes	#15
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,398	I'm a contrarian. I like the original due to the reflections.

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