Creek Scape

[MarcusK]

Hey,

I did some post work here (just a wee bit), and would like your opinions first and foremost, on what could have been done on site first, then in post... I can go there anytime, and re-shoot so that is not an issue...

Thanks for all the input...

Note: I would love to know the "Why" in all of your answers and comments... if you like it then Why?, if you don't then Why?.... thanks

Marc

[Chunk]

The strong perspective leads the eye immediately to...hazy distant buildings. That might be an interesting subject if it occupied a larger part of the scene. Perhaps a less centered placement of the vanishing point could help.

The moored boats with the urban backdrop would also be interesting if it occupied a larger part of the scene.

The major parts of the photo are featureless water and blocks of boring (to me) modern people boxes. I don't find a strong subject here. The photo documents the scene well if that is the intention.

If your post production work provided the good color in the river and parts of the buildings that was done well. You could try a little perspective correction to take the lean out of the buildings. Some of the buildings seem unnaturally light in spots...the left hand buildings show good contrast while the next ones seem more evenly lit.

Different times of day and different lighting and sky conditions could strengthen this shot as well.

[Greg McCary]

I like the subject and composition. You also nailed the expsoure as well. I would think this one would look very nice enlarged and hanging in an office or resturant. The only thing that bothers me is I feel a better sky with some detail to it might have helped. But this is only a personal chioce and I think that the sky works here too. The sky/smog/fog here may be something that is common place with the city? So it may work best from a local stand point. My favorite parts of the image are the boats on the left and bridge in the distance, where you placed them is spot on. Nice picture, I am glad to see you back.
Greg

[starriderrick]

I'm not an expert...but, I like the water-the shadows,reflections and colors very much.A pleasing image.Nice work. What city is this? Do tell.
Rick

[Frog]

Not an expert here but the light seems harsh to me. Since you can get to it anytime, I'd try early morning or early evening for the softer light.
I do like the composition but that's a big piece of water for a creek.

[MarcusK]

Thank you all for your replies...

Chunk - This is one of a series of images that i took for a lecture about architecture.... the intent was showing that these are people boxes exactly.... and the fakeness and blandness of the whole city... so i guess this worked... I do have some shots of different times, and different angles too... The buildings in the middle, are faded because of the smog and dust of the desert...

Greg - Its good to be back... they are common place at particular dates and times... and once you get to them from a local stand point they are too nothing.... I'm just trying to find inspiration in a city devoid of an identity... but they are trying....I mean they have a "city" (its what they call all their projects) where you are supposed to live in all the wonders of the world... eifel tower, hanging gardens...so on and so forth... but at a price so high, you think it is only for pharaos..

Rick - thanks... this is Dubai... and the creek they built is not natural as is most of the city... all man made... I'll have a series posted later on, once i make the images web material...

Frog - The light is harsh... this is the "desert" anyway... but the thing is, the angle of the light does not help during the morning (5 am) and in the afternoon there are many shadows which is when i try to go shoot... but at that time, it takes 1 hour to get to, when it should take about 5 minutes... so it has to be a day thing for me.... but i am planning on having many more shoots, since there are a lot of construction sites there, and i would like to take portraits of the workers.... who knows

Thank you all again, for your comments, I will post the rest soon... probably in my gallery so that the mods don't get pissed

Marc

[drg]

Markus,

I just saw this one.

I'll start with a couple of technical notes.

The photograph seems overly compressed and results in a lack of contrast. This is often, I know, a result of preparing an image for the web. There's a lack of sharpness in the critical areas of the building faces and the sky cranes would show better with increased accutance.

The desert haze can be tweaked in post processing with a couple of different techniques that, if you are interested, I'll point you towards. It might even help with what seems a slightly unnatural or unpleasant water colorartion.

Using a photograph for architectural/design purposes in a lecture, you might want to consider have a building(s) closer to the lower corners if you are trying to convey that overpowering sense of modern city planning that is almost stifling at times. The width of the waterway puts this more in the realm of urban planning that simply architectural examples. The composition will drive the context of the image and what it is illustrating.

The 'creek' seems more than that but I believe I understand as it is artificial or manmade.

These modern planned city environments drive me crazy. They are going to look like slums in a short time if something isn't 'added' to them I feel. The similarity in each of the buildings is well presented by your photograph and the lack of visual appeal from variation or style of building is too well illustrated. Just some minor adjustments might help to bring out your point (I imagine) in a stronger fashion.

Look forward (in one way) to seeing more.

Who is the planner/designer/architect for this area of Dubai?

[MarcusK]

drg - Thanks for all the input, and yeah i would love to know your approach to the haze if its not too much trouble... I'm always open to learning new ways of doing things...

As to who is the architect (or firm) for the area, there are many, and i will leave things anonymous for now, because i think they are the biggest mistake ever made...well better than the rest of this place, but still.... We are talking about 2 bedroom apartments (dunno the area since that is not how they define price ut

In any case, I am adding these 2 pics now for the following reason:

Img 1 is a different angle and composition of the same shot without any editing... I opened with PS CS2, accepted the auto settings of the As Shot menu... and saved...

Img 2 is one of those used in the lecture (the one posted for critique was not) this image comes at a point where the architect is talking about loneliness, and buildings popping up like mushrooms...

Thanks again to all...

Marc

[drg]

Marc,

The de-haze/de-blur method I use on scenic/landscape/cityscapes etc. is:

Using the UnSharp Masking (USM) tool with the following settings:

Amount - 16-20%
Radius - 40
Threshold - 1-3

Some images you can apply this twice or perhaps more prior to final sharpening in a conventional method. It will even aid with an advanced or third party sharpening tool. Just do not forget to change your USM setting back or you may start to wonder why the photos just get blurry!

This is effectively is one type of overall Noise Reduction and a greater application of what USM does to sharpen. The bluring effect (minimized by the amount) of the Radius gives the final sharpening something to 'grab' on and provide a halo to that is not just more noise. I aids with that UV haze that comes up an hour or so after sunrise and just gets worse usually until late in the day when the temperature starts to diminish.

The second photo is quite good, I am not sure that the tilt doesn't help it convey more of the isolation and loneliness of these urban canyons.

[gahspidy]

Marc, looks like you got alot of good advice and critique here already. I agree with much of what Chunk said already, but I do still find the image pleasing to look at, mostly i think because of the color of the water. I think you tried to get too much of the scene into the shot. I see what might be a better shot by standing on the curve at the left side and having the marina of baots in the fg with the bridge in the bg and buildings alongside.
drg suggestion to eliminate haze is effective and i find I use it once in a while on certain images just to get them to pop more. But, you have to watch for halos on your edges, though.
Of the second batch you posted, i like the first for it's simplicity, but i miss the colos.
I notice they have surrounded the entire "creek" with a curved fencing. Are they afraid of people throwing trash into the water? or falling in? It looks restricting and ugly, really.