Escher Disaster - advice sought for re-shoot

[zulu42]

While I shot this building today, in my mind the building was my subject. After looking at the images, I decided I want the staircase to be my subject. I don't know... there's sooooo much going on here....

I'm planning to re shoot it tomorrow at sunrise, trying to find a vantage point several degrees camera right. The goal is to frame the staircase better.

If you have any advice for my re-shoot in the morning, I'd gladly hear any ideas.

I'm also working on my B/W conversions, looking for critique on that as well.

D5100 70-300 @ 70mm f/16 1/125 iso100

 

[vintagesnaps]

I don't notice the staircase much and not sure I would have particularly if you hadn't mentioned it. I think you're right that a different vantage point would be better so you can see the staircase more.

It looks rather grayscale so maybe adjust the contrast to get a 'black' black and a 'white' white somewhere in the image (not in reflections or highlights).

I'd take the shadows into consideration too as part of the composition; I think that adds to how much is going on in the photo.

 

[Derrel]

B&W conversions from a color .NEF : my suggestion is experiment with the Color Filter Effects presets in Lightroom, if you have Lightroom, to get different contrast/tone renderings. Try the green filter, the yellow, the red, the blue filter, see if one of those makes things "Pop!" the way that looks the best.

In the AM, the light might better reveal the damage to the building; many times, in the month of December, the sun rises and is low in the sky and it can make things really,really reveal their shape for that first 15,20,25,30 minutes after sunup. SO...go early!!!

Agreed that shifting camera POV to the right will make the staircase show up more.

 

[snowbear]

I agree about needing contrast. Don't forget to straighten and correct any lens distortions.

 

[zulu42]

Thanks very much gents.

Derrel, I can't find the Color Filter Effects presets in LR CC. I see the Black&White Mix panel to adjust the levels by color, but no presets... I'll take a better look later. Thanks again

Zac

 

[Derrel]

Zac,
I hope this Adobe instructional page will help you locate the presets. I no longer have the CC version of Lightroom, or I would have checked into this myself,and written out my own instructions to you regarding this.

Go retro: Convert to B&W |

 

[weepete]

If it were me I'd try a shot or two dead straight to one of the faces of the stairwell.

 

[zulu42]

Ah, found the presets, Thanks Derrel!

They're a good starting point. The blue filter seems to be useable with a few tweaks in this instance.


Here's what I'm working with this morning:

SOOC

LR B&W blue filter preset with highlights +21

 

[zulu42]

If it were me I'd try a shot or two dead straight to one of the faces of the stairwell.

Thanks very much for this suggestion

It was more difficult to get a vantage point to shoot straight on, but I did get one.

this may be better!



I feel like there is a good photograph of this building, but maybe I'm not the guy to get it
I value the experience in the attempt though, and the input from you guys here provides great learning opportunity. In fact, When shooting this building, I think I got a shot of another building that is a better photograph!

 

[weepete]

Yeah, that to me is where the interest lies in this shot. I'm a bit facinated with partly demolished or constructed structures but they are very difficult go get really good shots of. I think your straigt on shot is pretty good, I'd try and get some framing on the left hand side too.

 

[Destin]

Personally I’d be compelled to move further to camera right and get a shot at 90 degrees to the stairwell; such that they form a “zig-zag” up through the building. Maybe use a short telephoto lens to shoot the building such that you have some foreground interest from the rocks/concrete chunks and the compression from the longer focal length makes the zig zag of the stairs appear to be rising directly out of them?

No idea if that makes sense to anyone but myself or if it’s physically possible based on the surroundings.. but that’s what I would try to do if I was there. It may well fail miserably, so don’t blame me if it does lol

 

[Derrel]

Personally I’d be compelled to move further to camera right and get a shot at 90 degrees to the stairwell; such that they form a “zig-zag” up through the building. Maybe use a short telephoto lens to shoot the building such that you have some foreground interest from the rocks/concrete chunks and the compression from the longer focal length makes the zig zag of the stairs appear to be rising directly out of them?

No idea if that makes sense to anyone but myself or if it’s physically possible based on the surroundings.. but that’s what I would try to do if I was there. It may well fail miserably, so don’t blame me if it does lol

That's what I thought weepete meant with his suggestion; specifically, I thought he meant to shoot the building so the zig-zag nature of the staircase was shown.

As to the OP's comments: yeah, the blue filter preset creates an interesting contrast that the other filters do not cause. I think the B&W rendering from Day 2 could use a little bit of digital fill lighting on the areas inside the building.

 

[zulu42]

....comment edited..... I'd try and get some framing on the left hand side too.

good suggestion. better crop below

Personally I’d be compelled to move further to camera right and get a shot at 90 degrees to the stairwell; such that they form a “zig-zag” up through the building. Maybe use a short telephoto lens to shoot the building such that you have some foreground interest from the rocks/concrete chunks and the compression from the longer focal length makes the zig zag of the stairs appear to be rising directly out of them?

No idea if that makes sense to anyone but myself or if it’s physically possible based on the surroundings.. but that’s what I would try to do if I was there. It may well fail miserably, so don’t blame me if it does lol

That's what I thought weepete meant with his suggestion; specifically, I thought he meant to shoot the building so the zig-zag nature of the staircase was shown.

As to the OP's comments: yeah, the blue filter preset creates an interesting contrast that the other filters do not cause. I think the B&W rendering from Day 2 could use a little bit of digital fill lighting on the areas inside the building.

I got a zig zag, too! While none of these is the one I'd hoped for, the exercise was totally worth it. I hope I'm also making headway on the conversions.

Thank you again

 

[Derrel]

The zig-zag is the winner, for me. Why? On the left side of the picture, you it show us five separate floors' worth of staircases and contrast them against the five empty floors on the right hand side of the frame. Wonderfully done!

 

[zulu42]

Thanks! I have also been having fun with tighter crops of this angle.

I appreciate the compliment very much. It is so cool to be able to "workshop" a shoot with some pro input. It will improve my future efforts, without a doubt.