DC Nightscape - CC Please

dcmountaineer · Nov 16, 2009

This was one of my personal faves (and one of my first after picking up my Sigma 18-50 2.8). Please provide any critiques you may have. This version does not have any post-processing. It seems a little dark, but I think it kind of works that way given the illuminated monuments and tail lights.

Jeepin59 · Nov 17, 2009

Looks like a keeper. I don't think it's too dark, it a night photo after all. Great job

myjay610 · Nov 17, 2009

Nice! I definitely like how the monuments stand out. I also appreciate seeing some photos from nearby where I live

dcmountaineer · Nov 18, 2009

Does anybody think the light posts are too distracting?

Rifleman1776 · Nov 18, 2009

The big lightpost in foreground draws the eye. Shot would be better, IMHO, if that was cropped out and the monument made larger and more prominent.
However, the building appears soft. Focus/camera movement?

JohnnyL · Nov 18, 2009

I like it! Very cool. I know you said no PP but I think you should at least level the horizon!

Did you do anything to get such stars from the light post? It's really beautiful and I haven't been able to get it.

dcmountaineer · Nov 18, 2009

Rifleman1776 said:
The big lightpost in foreground draws the eye. Shot would be better, IMHO, if that was cropped out and the monument made larger and more prominent.
However, the building appears soft. Focus/camera movement?

Thanks. I always go back and forth about my opinion of the light poles. I think I like them in, but I might want to crop out the one on the left in addition to some of that wasted space.

I don't think there was any movement. It's possible that the building was the focus point. Can't remember exactly how it was setup...

dcmountaineer · Nov 18, 2009

JohnnyL said:
I like it! Very cool. I know you said no PP but I think you should at least level the horizon!

Did you do anything to get such stars from the light post? It's really beautiful and I haven't been able to get it.

Thanks.

I think the small app value (f/22) that I used created that effect. But they do sell filters that produce that effect. I think they're called star filters.

dcmountaineer · Nov 18, 2009

JohnnyL said:
I know you said no PP but I think you should at least level the horizon!

The horizon seems level to me. Maybe I'm blind though

.

In my view, the Wash monument and edge of the Lincoln are both parallel to the edge of the photo. So any leveling of the horizon out would "unstraighten" the photo...

pugnacious33 · Nov 18, 2009

I freakin' love it. The light doesn't distract me at all. I love the contrast. Everything in the photo besides the lighting is very dark, that is what makes the shot so cool. Very simple and effective. The only thing i'd suggest is cropping some of the dark off the bottom, to just below where the red lights start in the bottom LH corner. I bet that would make it even better. I'd like to see it if you do try a crop.

Nice job.