C&C: Way out of my comfort zone on these nighttime skyline shots (pic heavy)

[SquarePeg]

I'd be proud with any of those!
Let me know if there is another meeting soon, maybe I can get there from canal?

Anytime you want to meet up at this location or anywhere else in the area Nancy, just let me know. Next meet is at the Topsfield Fair on 10/1 @ 4pm on the midway which I'm going to try to get to but not 100% committing to until the day of. The meet up group is called Boston Area Photography Group. You can join on meetup.com Boston Area Photography Group There may be other groups in your area as well.

 

[SquarePeg]

As for your shots, I actually can't stand the 2nd because the city looks like its dead. Not dead as in "not busy," actual dead with cold grey skin and that's not Boston. But, otherwise, I think for your first time out and with the conditions you described, you did really well and it sounds like you already know where your flaws were and where you want to improve. So keep at it!

Thanks for your feedback, I really appreciate it. I can see what you mean with that 2nd shot. It was that half hour or so when the light was all behind the buildings and the lights of the city had not yet started to come on. The city was mostly a silhouette that I "rescued" in post by lifting the shadows and blacks because I liked the sky in it so much.

 

[PersistentNomad]

The city was mostly a silhouette that I "rescued" in post by lifting the shadows and blacks because I liked the sky in it so much.

So, uh.... can we see the original? That sounds way more interesting.

 

[SquarePeg]

So, uh.... can we see the original? That sounds way more interesting.

Sure. Here it is. The thing that I didn't like about it as a skyline silhouette is that, because of the angle of where I was shooting from, the Custom House clock tower and the International Place buildings are not cleanly outlined. I was not able to move far enough to my right to get that separation that I was looking for at least for the Custom House.

Boston_6374_edited-2 by SharonCat..., on Flickr

 

[PersistentNomad]

Yeah, you're right. the silhouette would have been more dramatic if you could have separated the more distinct buildings, and maybe captured the way the city tapers off on the right, like in your pano.

 

[SquarePeg]

Yeah, you're right. the silhouette would have been more dramatic if you could have separated the more distinct buildings, and maybe captured the way the city tapers off on the right, like in your pano.

Every person there was trying to get the Custom House separated and some tried several spots at both ends of the harbor walk but there was no good angle available. If you click on the link I posted to Nancy there are a bunch of shots from the participants and several where you can see the location we were shooting from. There's another park in East Boston that has a closer view that I may try some other time.