Abandoned - C+C please!

[jfrabat]

Hello, everyone! Thanks for looking!

I was out in an abandoned sanatorium in Costa Rica (Sanatorio Duran) today, where the lepers were sent back in the 1920's to spend their final days. The place is sort of abandoned in that the grounds are kept, but the buildings are not. This place is now a sort of morbid tourist attraction, many times included in the same tour as the Irazu Volcano. Anyway, I was there this morning, and got a couple of nice shots, for which I would like to know your opinion regarding the technical and artistic qualities the posses (or lack). Feel free to critique, but please make it constructive criticism, as the idea is to get better...

1. STAIRS

• Camera: Sony SLT-A77V
• Lens: SAL1855
• Focal Length: 18 mm
• Aperture: f/8
• Shutter Speed: 1/3 sec.
• ISO 100

View attachment 21612

2. DOORWAY

• Camera: Sony SLT-A77V
• Lens: SAL1855
• Focal Length: 20mm
• Aperture: f/8
• Shutter Speed: 2 sec.
• ISO 100

View attachment 21613

3. HALLWAY

• Camera: Sony SLT-A77V
• Lens: SAL70300G
• Focal Length: 70mm
• Aperture: f/19
• Shutter Speed: 3 sec.
• ISO 100

View attachment 21614

 

[tirediron]

Neat.

 

[jfrabat]

Sorry about the double post... I got an error page in Chrome, and thought I had lost it...

 

[FanBoy]

Interesting shots. I like the abandoned look.

These also seem like good candidates for HDR processing.

 

[jfrabat]

Interesting shots. I like the abandoned look.

These also seem like good candidates for HDR processing.

Thanks; I tried HDR, but I think it takes away rather than add to the photos. For example, take a look at this one of the staircase... I think the extreme contrast adds more than the dynamic range... What do you guys think?



EDIT: kind of funny, but now I am liking more the HDR! I guess I am in a different mood or something! But I like the grittiness the HDR adds (well, I am liking it TODAY! Yesterday I did not like it! LOL!). By the way, the HDR is from the same RAW shot set at different exposure compensations...

 

[jfrabat]

So what do you guys think? HDR is better or not?

 

[bunadski]

I like the HDR better. It shows more detailed but was done subtly enough that it looks like it not HDR.

 

[FanBoy]

So what do you guys think? HDR is better or not?

To be honest I didn't know the second image was HDR until I looked back at the first image.

It's still too bright in the window, but it can be difficult to recover. Or the source will be too bright to do anything with, such as a direct shot toward the sun.

 

[jfrabat]

Well, it was my intention to have a bright light coming trhough the window, so I am not worried about it being blown. I am not really interested in seeing what's outside (I want that "walk in to the light" type of look). As for the HDR, I dialed down the sliders to keep a "real" look (did not want it looking llike a a typical HDR).

 

[FanBoy]

I agree; there's nothing really to look at outside and it wouldn't matter if it's blown out a bit. Good work.