Cork City Xmas Lights

davemac83

C&C Appreciated.

AnimalRights

Border too big and picture too small. (Impossible to check the detail)

City-Exile

I think you've got too much space in the foreground, Dave.
Looks like the top of the elevator shaft outside the Clarion, centre left.
This is quite distracting.

You should try for a better angle, getting in front of that pole down the right and excluding the elevator.

davemac83

Any constructive criticism?

Composition?

Perspective?

Colours?

Contrast?

Mood?


Anything??

City-Exile

I'd keep that little bench in the shot too, as I like the way the light falls on it.

AnimalRights

davemac83 wrote: »

Any constructive criticism?

Composition?

Perspective?

Colours?

Contrast?

Mood?


Anything??

You can't tell from that sized pic, C&C works two ways, if it was all positive doubt you would've replied with your last reply.

davemac83

Saucer of Milk for Animal Rights........please don't pass judgement on my reasons for posting.


Anyway,

City exile, I take your point on the top of the lift shaft it is distracting.

I was trying to keep the trees and the light coming off them.

Also the reason for the large foreground is due to the reflection from the christmas tree on the small bench and the tree grates which I thought looked interesting.

Thanks for the constructive C&C, It will be taken on board as I do plan to go back this week and reshoot.

*Dallas

the reflection of the lights on the ground is cool. if you're heading back, perhaps shoot from a lower angle, or from directly in the middle of the surrounding trees- that way you can avoid the tree branches interferring with the christmas tree.

Also, the tree with the lights doesn't look infocus, (unless its my eyes lol). Maybe try with a tripod next time

CabanSail

I find my eye wanders all over the frame. There is a lot of distractions. The two trees seem to be the subject but railing & the buildings in the background detract from that.

If you are going out again, maybe try a different angle, a tighter frame or some other way to isolate the subject. I know it's very hard to do, which is why it's so good when it works.

City-Exile

Dallas, if he gets a lower angle, he'll get less light reflected from the ground.

Dave, if you do go back, play around with different angles and different perspectives.

Calina

Hi Dave

Couple of things strike me about this...it's a photograph that is full of promise but which doesn't quite make it for me.

There are a couple of reasons for this. I am not sure about the frame (some are going to feel some irony here) - I would nearly prefer a black edged white frame on it rather than black but that's a question of taste.

The lights on the Christmas tree are sort of soft - they sort of imply motion but don't quite get there?

I might have composed the shot differently. I can't at this point in time picture the area you're shooting as I am rarely in Cork to see the Christmas lights, however, bearing in mind that you are angling to keep the lights reflection (which is lovely), I would have looked at maybe shooting a landscape shot rather than portrait. Make it wider if you like.

I'd play with angles. I'm not sure what lens you used but it might be fun to play with the wider end of what you've got...

PixelTrawler

I like the shot... the exposure could have been longer and therefore brighter.

I totally agree with AR - it really needs to be bigger, its hard to tell.

What were the shot settings... you can get nice star effects of lights at night with around f/11-16 - experiment and see (to do with the blades of the curtain). You could have gotten a nice effect off the street light behind the (ordinary) tree to the left of the christmas tree

(looking closer you have managed it off the distant lights but its lost as the shots so small, also its prob bright enough, again the small size reduces it impact if you get me)

Have you a flickr or pix account to link to?

AnimalRights

The reason I replied the way I did was because I did find the picture interesting and wanted to see it properly and in more detail, agree with Calina about the border colour too.

melekalikimaka

davemac83 wrote: »

Saucer of Milk for Animal Rights

being a smartie pants doesn't help when looking for c and c dude.

as for the image, it looks a tiny bit soft, the light is nice, but alot of open empty space in frame, I'd try a few different angles or move closer to get a fuller frame... and a larger size would be helpful

davemac83

Solyad, thanks for that here's my flickr account http://www.flickr.com/photos/31004874@N05/ and you can see some other angles I had taken.

Calina, I'll play around with the frame size and colour, it's a fair point as it is quite dark.

Animal Rights, please ignore my brashness and take a look at my filckr account to see it in a bigger size.

Dallas, I actually did use a tripod but I can see that the lights on the xmas tree do seem blurred.

Thanks to all for the C&C.

AnimalRights

melekalikimaka wrote: »

being a smartie pants doesn't help when looking for c and c dude.

I thought it was funny to be fair, I am brash myself and have np's with humour.



/edit
Looked at the bigger version.
The lights def are soft and you have no exif information in your picture, would like to see the aperture you used etc
I like the whole idea of that pic and love the reflection and path myself a lot, as others said I would go back and attempt it again.