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  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    A Vision Into The Past

    Everytime I go to Bellingham WA, and wander around the downtown area, this mural seems to call out to me. I find it to be one of the nicest I have ever seen and it touches something deep within my mind.. Sure wish that I would have had a lens baby to use on this.. Mebbe someone can tell me how I could shoot this without getting the distortion of the building...

  2. #2
    Senior Member Charles Hess's Avatar
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    Re: A Vision Into The Past

    Great mural. What lens are you using that has the frame looking like this? I initially thought you had your camera tilted.

  3. #3
    has-been... another view's Avatar
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    Re: A Vision Into The Past

    Getting in the very center of it (that probably means a tall ladder) and shooting with a tripod-mounted and perfectly level camera will do that, but it's not always practical. Is there a building across the street that you could shoot from, or some other way to get higher off the ground?

  4. #4
    Panarus biarmicus Moderator (Sports) SmartWombat's Avatar
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    Re: A Vision Into The Past

    I agree, I like that mural a lot.

    To capture it without distortion, you need preferably to get exactly at 90 degrees to the wall, as this is shot at an angle.

    To get the best from this position, keep the front of the building vertical, and let the top and bottom of the image both slope equally with the perspective.
    Then you can fix it more easily in software.
    As it is with the distortion in 3 directions it'll be difficult.

    Assuming there's an alleyway between two buildings, you can get in there half way along the mural so that you're 90 degrees to it.
    Since you aren't one storey tall, then you have to shoot pointing upwards, that introduces more distortion.

    There is an expensive solution to that, and some cheaper ones.
    Expensive: a tilt/shift lens, instead of angling the camera upwards the lens is shifted keeping the image vertical and parallel.

    Cheap: software, adjust the perspective in photoshop.
    stairs, can you get into the building opposite and does it have a window in the right place?
    wide angle lens, keep the camera level and crop off the road. There may be distortion from the lens though.
    monopod, with a monopod at full extension held above your head to get the camera nearer the centre of the mural.
    PAul

    Scroll down to the Sports Forum and post your sports pictures !

  5. #5
    Panarus biarmicus Moderator (Sports) SmartWombat's Avatar
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    Re: A Vision Into The Past

    Quote Originally Posted by Charles Hess
    Great mural. What lens are you using that has the frame looking like this? I initially thought you had your camera tilted.
    I think the OP is using a wide angle lens, see the curvature on the top of the building?
    Then you're right, the camera is tilted because the front isn't vertical.
    And the front is curved too from the pincushion distortion.

    I think it needs correction for pincushion first.
    Then rotation to bring the right edge of the mural vertical.
    Then perspective correction to bring the mural back to square.

    Or a re-shoot.
    PAul

    Scroll down to the Sports Forum and post your sports pictures !

  6. #6
    Junior Member
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    Re: A Vision Into The Past

    I will be back up there this weekend, and will try to get a better shot if possible. I will try to get myself higher or possibly borrow a lens baby from a friend.. The only time that I can really shoot this photo is on a Sat afternoon late or a Sunday... There is usually a car parked in front of the salmon's mouth.... Thanks for all the great advice, and let's see what I can do this weekend when I go back to get my wife... I don't get there as often as I like as it is a 6.5 hour drive from here in Oregon to Bellingham....
    Thanks for all the kind help, and you'll be seeing something better next week or so I hope..

    Ken Jackson
    CPO USN Ret.

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