Castle

[hminx]

Haven't posted a B&W for a while ,so I thought this would do for my 2000th post....

[CLKunst]

Congratulations on your 2000th!

Technically perfect as far as I can see. The flagpole on the causeway is a minor distraction but it's really a part of the castle so I can accept it. I like the way the clouds frame the roof line. It has an interesting sky and background details. Gorgeous site to put up a manse. Is this in New Zealand or were you traveling?

[mattb]

Yeah, I looked at this last night and couldn't find anything I could critique about it, so I figured I'd have another look today. Still looks great!
I like the drama in the sky, the use of 1/3rds, the detail, and the tones. It's all working very well for me.
I might have tried this same shot with a ND filter to smooth the water. Not sure if that would make it better or not, but it might have been worth trying.

In short, great shot!

[llewpics]

Very nice image overall. Well composed and the sky has some nice definition in it. The only thing that draws my eye away from the overall "rustic" subject is the flagpole. Now, you may not want to touch this, and I would totally understand - but I would blame you if you cloned it out. It would bring it all together even a little better. Either way, nice.

[GB1]

Pete-

Hmm. This one has a lot of excellent elements ... The castle is a good subject, the sky is cloudy which adds flair, and the water adds a contrast to the sky in that it's peaceful and shows a bit of a reflection.

I am still having a hard time connecting to the image, however. I am not completely sure why, but it could be that the castle is a tad smallish in the frame, or that the sky isn't quite stormy enough, more of a dissipating storm than a real one. That far left land mass (looks like a giant rock) is a good element in general, but here I find it distracting, that I want that area to be plain. Finally, I think there's too much sky and that perhaps about 40% of it should be cropped.

Hard to say if the black and white is ideal here. Definitely isn't bad, just wondering if the color would be better.

G

[ksbryan0]

Really nice composition, Pete. Only real gripe is that the side of the tallest portion of the castle seems very soft and much of the rest of it is a little soft. However, I see a lot more detail along the bridge. Because no one else mentioned this, maybe it is just me. I think a darker, more threatening sky would fit your PP better, but this works well as it is.

[hminx]

Thanks Cindy, this is on the north west cost of Scotland taken when my wife and I were traveling to the Isle of Skye last year.

Thanks Matt, the dark choppy water I think, coupled with the broody sky, fits the mood. I also think your ND filter would be great, I only wish I had one and this was a sunset shot, unfortunately time was an issue as we still had a ways to go this day.

Appreciate the thoughts llewpics, yeah you're right it needs to go, stupid flag pole...

Damnit GB I was happy with this till you pointed out that left outcrop now its ruined.....
As far as the colour thing is concerned, the colour version was mainly greys and greens, so the B&W choice wasn't hard to make.

Thanks Ken I hadn't noticed the softness, its not in the original image perhaps its something that occurred when sizing for web

[armando_m]

Fantastic place !
is this a silver efex conversion ?
The blacks on the castle walls seem a bit to dark to me, maybe they're like that
a more ominous sky would certainly fit the mood nicely

I have not noticed the flag pole until mentioned here

IQ looks as if it was scanned from a newspaper , I'm guessing it is due to all the downsizing and uploading to the forum ...

[ekonom]

Very nice photos

[CLKunst]

Congrats on the sticky Pete! Well done!

[shaddisi23]

The aristocrat of the Alcatraz and his ancestors would reside in the castle, and there would be abounding servants,with a abettor to baby-sit them, men at arms, there would be a clergyman who took affliction of the spiritual abundance of the ancestors and Alcatraz staff. From the 13th century, if Alcatraz agents tended to get bigger, there would be a abettor to baby-sit the calm servants, and a senescence to baby-sit the alfresco servants.

[windsurfer19]

cool picture

[JMASTERJ]

Love the ominous old school look... lets see more!

[chasingkt]

Ohhh I really like this! Especially that it's in B&W.

[stoikos]

I love the way the black and white works!

[margaret]

Amazing B&W photo!

[airmikey]

wow that's truly amazing.

[airmikey]

which camera did you use and what were the settings? besides B&W.

[mrlee1989]

Its a nice photo but I think it could be a bit better if you increased the exposure time so you get the water to to be smoothed out.

[Kevin82]

Love the B/W and composition. Was it abandoned? and did you go inside to get pics?

[Bayou]

That's a great pic. It looks like the setting for an awesome horror game or movie. Where was this photo taken?

[rajbrijesh]

I love the way the black and white works!

[Roshni]

B&W picture beauty at its best.

[DSP121]

The Captured Beauty looks Amazing!

[yamita]

Castle is very good. Is this in England? Is there a bogey?