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  1. #1
    Moderator Didache's Avatar
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    Selfridges Building

    Hi all ... I have just spent the weekend in Birmingham (the English one, not the Alabama one!)

    One of the most notable buildings is the Selfridges department store which has an ultra-modern "skin" over the entire exterior. It's all curves and these strange disks and lends itself to abstract photography. What do you think? All straight photographs, except for a mono conversion.

    Cheers
    Mike
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Selfridges Building-sb-01-jpg.jpg   Selfridges Building-sb-02-jpg.jpg   Selfridges Building-sb-03-jpg.jpg  
    Mike Dales ARPS
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  2. #2
    Learning more with every "click" mjs1973's Avatar
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    Those are very cool Mike! This looks like a very fun building to shoot. I love the compositions of the first and 3rd shots.
    Mike

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  3. #3
    Just Lurking
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    Mike,

    I like the first and third. I like that the first has more contours, but the third leads the eye better. Both are nice. Well spotted and shot.

    PC

  4. #4
    project forum co-moderator Frog's Avatar
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    Great subjec, well shot. If you hadn't told me what it was I would never know.
    Light, contrast, etc. are all perfect to me. I like all three.
    What color was it before conversion?
    Keep Shooting!

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  5. #5
    Moderator Didache's Avatar
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    frog - here's an original ... as you can see, converting to mono doesn't really change a lot!

    Cheers
    Mike
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Selfridges Building-sb-04-jpg.jpg  
    Mike Dales ARPS
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  6. #6
    project forum co-moderator Frog's Avatar
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    It changes enough to make it better.
    About what I expected thy color would be.
    Keep Shooting!

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  7. #7
    Grumpy Old Man Overbeyond's Avatar
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    I'm enjoying the first one best of the three Mike. They do play with the eyes a bit before they settle down.
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    I have a total lack of respect for anything connected with society, except that which makes the roads safer, the beer stronger, the food cheaper, and the old men and old women warmer in the winter and happier in the summer. Brendan Behan

  8. #8
    mod squad gahspidy's Avatar
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    All great shots, Mike. Well composed. I also think one is the strongest with two right next to it. the second one is also very good, just not quite as good as the other two.
    Really well done
    Last edited by gahspidy; 02-10-2008 at 12:30 PM. Reason: Sticking as Featured Photo. February 10, 2008
    please do not edit and repost my photos


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  9. #9
    MB1
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    An interesting exercise in composition.

    I seem to be the contrarian here and like your second image the best. I like that in includes some sky although there is nothing in any of these images to give scale and I like that too.

    Nice job with the B&W.
    No, I DON'T need that.

  10. #10
    Senior Member retroactiv's Avatar
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    if you wouldn't had told us what it was I would have said these were computer generated. Very cool and very well done.
    Chris Johnson
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  11. #11
    Panarus biarmicus Moderator (Sports) SmartWombat's Avatar
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    I'd like to see the second one in colour.
    I know the building is pretty much monochrome, but you have such a grey sky I think it needs colour - or some serious editing to put some contrast back in that sky.
    PAul

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  12. #12
    Moderator Didache's Avatar
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    Thanks guys - I agree with most of you (sorry, MB1 ! ) that the purely abstract ones without sky are best - however, the sky was a little washed out. I might fiddle with replacing the sky with a dramatic one and see how it works.

    It hadn't occurred to me that the absence of any scale indicators was what made them work (thanks for that, MB1 !)

    It is POSSIBLE that I might be moving to that neck of the woods later in the year, in which case I will have lots of opportunities to revisit it.

    Cheers
    Mike
    Last edited by Didache; 02-05-2008 at 02:03 AM.
    Mike Dales ARPS
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  13. #13
    Senior Shooter Greg McCary's Avatar
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    Nice work Mike, I agree that the B&W works well. The composition is splendid as always..
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  14. #14
    Senior Member Herriot's Avatar
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    B&W works very well in this case and the first one is particularly impressive, great stuff!

  15. #15
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    All I can say is funky! (and that's in a good way. #2 and #1 are the ones that really catch my eye.

    I've really never thought much about converting pictures to B&W except in a few rare circumstances. I think this is an excellent prime example for me to explore this more. Thanks for the post!
    Cheers,
    Greg

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  16. #16
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    Hypnotic and soothing...reminds me of "A Clockwork Orange" set.

  17. #17
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    Congrats on featured photo Mike. Well deserved.
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    I have a total lack of respect for anything connected with society, except that which makes the roads safer, the beer stronger, the food cheaper, and the old men and old women warmer in the winter and happier in the summer. Brendan Behan

  18. #18
    GB1
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    Mike - I think you got about as good shots as possible here. They're well lit, have good DOF, and are shot from attractive angles wrt the way the patterns are progressing, etc. There are a few imperfections on the disks themselves that you might PS out, and I also wonder what these would look like with a warm, sunset glow? Oops! forgot, It's England --- what sun?

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  19. #19
    Moderator Didache's Avatar
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    Thanks guys! I'm chuffed

    Mike
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  20. #20
    Senior Shooter Greg McCary's Avatar
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    Congrats Mike.......
    I am like Barney Fife, I have a gun but Andy makes me keep the bullet in my pocket..

    Sony a99/a7R

  21. #21
    The red headed step child jgredline's Avatar
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    Very good and sharp... way to go! :thumbsup:
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  22. #22
    Moderator Didache's Avatar
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    Greg and Javier - thank you. It's much appreciated

    Mike
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  23. #23
    Member freedom1500's Avatar
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    Re: Selfridges Building

    Didache (Mike)
    Congratulations on your Featured Photo.
    Very nice piece of art indeed!
    Robert

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