Contrasting Shapes and Colors

[ken1953]

The wife went to a Weight Watchers meeting Saturday morning, leaving me some free time to shoot some surrounding buildings. This is the building the meeting was held at on the 3rd floor (windows w/white lights). All the contrasting shapes and colors caught my eye. At first I just looked at the fire escape, then I started seeing everything else going on. My reason for posting this...as is...is because I shot this with full manual control.

I want to know several things...
First...composition? What could I have done to compose this better or is it a good composition?
Second...Suggestions on how to improve it? Or, should I adjust it? Is it ok as is?

I am trying to learn photo technique so that I can eventually jump to DSLR's...

Picture was taken at about dawn with ambient light with a Nikon CP8400 w/ISO 100 @ f3.1 for 1/7 sec
I hope you like it!!! It is a new venue for me and all critique and suggestions greatly apprecieated.
Ken

[Old Timer]

Ken I think you are on the right track here. This image shows you have a good eye for identifing patterns and frame placement. If I were to make suggestions for strengthing your composition it would be to crop at the end of the red brick omiting the lower part of the building and strengthing the impact of the of the fire escape. Also I think the overall impact of the image would be improved with a little higher level of saturation and upping the contrast slightly. NIce overall idea and an image that has a lot of potential.

[readingr]

Ken,

It looks as if you are to the left of the picture - I would have tried to be square on to the building for this so that there is no perspective and started at about the top of the bottom windows and continued up to the top of the top set of windows.

I would also keep a little more to the left so that the fire escape is not cut off.

Just read old timers comments I'll go with all of those so that I don't repeat them again.

Roger