Stairs - CC requested

bigtwinky · Nov 5, 2009

Here is a picture that I really like, but for some odd reason, people are more just 'meh' about the image, but no one is able to really tell me why.

I'd love to hear what you guys think, on composition and the post processing.

Thanks for checking it out!

brianT · Nov 5, 2009

Wow, I really like this architectural shot! Maybe people are 'meh' because the subject is just stairs. Personally, I like this type of photography. Only thing I find is it's a little dark. I would brighten the centre part of the stairs a little. I'd like to see the full colored version if you have it?

bigtwinky · Nov 5, 2009

Thanks for the comments brianT. I have the original RAW at home, I'll look into posting it.

NateWagner · Nov 5, 2009

Agreed, I really like this shot a lot. It's the sort of image I would frame (maybe lightened a bit, and maybe processed a tad differently) but I like it.

If I were to frame it I would probably clone the white spot near the foot of the stairs.

bigtwinky · Nov 5, 2009

Thanks Nate.

How would you process it differently? I'm still struggling in developping my creative eye for post processing and always looking for tips.

The white spot? I just noticed something on the left hand side near the bottom that looks like some tape/garbage. I'll definatly look into editing that out. Or are you referring to something else?

Derrel · Nov 5, 2009

I like the idea behind the shot...an ultra-wide angle photo of a lovely curved staircase, with the vanishing point at the top of the frame, the closest stairs being rendered wide and frame-spanning,and the receding stairs being rendered as smaller, due to the steep apparent perspective a 10 or 12mm lens yields on APS-C.

But two things make this a "meh" for me also. The first is, my eye is dying to have some solid,rich detail to soak up in the foreground,and what I am seeing is a lack of image quality--the stairs seem to be slightly out of focus,and the corners of the frame have poor resolution, and/or there is just a slight bit of up and down camera movement or mirror slap...the detail is just not quite "there" at the size shown. The foreground steps simply are not rendered well,and it's difficult but it looks like corner fall-off from too wide of an f/stop to me. Perhaps if a heavy PS treatment/texture/antique effect were added people would like the shot more?

The second thing is the green toning. I have tried some blueish, faked cyanotype-like tonings on my pBase site, on pictures the hit counter shows people like--and people really do not like odd-colored toned images. If this were a cool or neutral monochrome, I think people would like it better.

bigtwinky · Nov 5, 2009

Thanks for the tips Derrel, much appreciated.

This was shot a few months ago at a local Oratory. Great place to photograph. I believe I had *gasp* not used a tripod for this shot, hence the need for a wider aperture and the camera shake.

So its definatly a reshoot, but has potential. I'll see about finding a matching staircase on the other side that might have more foreground interest, or probably just re-angle the shot.

If the construction on the Oratory is done, I might be able to slide to the right and get some of the chapel in the background sky.

Thanks again for the inspirations everyone

FLASHPOINT* · Nov 5, 2009

that shot is really nice and clean.

PHILLIP MAC · Nov 5, 2009

nice shot .I would love to see some sort of human interest in it not much but just a hint

Brian L · Nov 5, 2009

The only thing I don't like about it is the green ting. I wish it were black and white. That is my feeling on it. I like everything else. The green just kinda makes me want to continue on to another photo but I look back at it.

Al-Wazeer · Nov 6, 2009

Well I have a shot of just stairs and I LOVE IT! So I find the picture beautiful. However it look just a bit soft to me. Especially in the front.

bigtwinky · Nov 6, 2009

I working on getting back to the location and try and get a better angle, more background interest and will try and make it sharped.

Thanks all for the comments. If anyone has more, keep em coming!