The Terrace

[jon_k]

What did I do wrong with this? What could be better?

 

[391615]

I think there is way too much to look at in this photo, personally I'd rather see a smaller area. Maybe just nine bays, and I reckon if you had different people in each bay, doing their own thing in a unique way, Maybe a couple enjoying a coffee, someone watering a plant, someone taking in the air etc, this photo could be a very interesting photo.

 

[kundalini]

^^Agreed^^
It's very busy without anything happening. Also looks flat to me.

 

[Joxby]

wot he said ^, and..

I think its difficult to make this type of shot work with he limitations of filesize, it would look great BIG, whether thats enlarged digital or large format film.
Theres not much going on peoplewise, which doesn't matter that much its just the details of each individual terrace aren't too visible.
I'd either shoot this as a mini city, like an ant farm, or as a buildings abstract where the small details aren't as important.
technically -
Its not sharp, I dunno why, that Oly glass is usually pretty sharp but your birds on a wire are the same.
Theres pin cushion distortion, only the middle pillar seems straight, and the crop itself isn't straight, but that might be the distortion sending you round the bend trying to get things square, (happens to me aaaalll the time) best thing is to straighten the distortion and rotation before you crop.
If you choose abstract you could conceivably go daft with processing colours/contrast whatever, but mini city requires all the little details of whats going on on each balcony which isn't ideal to display on screen...scrolling/wotnot, hence the 9 bays suggestion..

My distortion control is pretty basic, I can straighten the verticles but you cant have been perfectly square to the building because the distortion isnt equal at both sides, this is my best effort and its still perspectively poop.
Ideally, a more telephoto shot would reduce by miles the amount of distortion/rotation headache you have to deal with.
Sharpening doesn't help either, too many fine lines.