12:40

[Greg McCary]

This clock is probably the most photographed subject in my town. I have seen pictures of this from every angle you can think of. So I tried to come up with something different. Does it work, yes, no? Turn back Trog, don't look, don't look.LOL...
Greg

[PMW518]

I think thats its ok, but could be better. I don't care for the little tree in front of it and maybe if you got next to that tree or in front of it and shot up a little more so that it wasn't in front of the tower.

Also looks kinda dark and flat to me, could use a little levels and curves adjustment to help it out, or maybe try shooting a HDR out of it, if your into trying that kind of thing, to get the detail in the clouds but still keep the detail of the tower.

Good idea just needs a few small tweaks to make it much better, or at least thats the way it seems to me.

Phil

[Greg McCary]

Thanks Phil, It seems for some reason that if I push a curves or levels adjustment to far on this one I start getting a pixelation problem in the sky or the clouds at the middle of the clock starts blowing out. I shot this angle because there was a plaque that I wanted in the shot at the bottom of the picture but I desided I didn't like it and cropped it out, but I agree with you...
Greg

[ravenmore]

Hey Greg - nice subject but I agree with Phil - too dark and too flat. Did you shoot RAW? Maybe try it again w/jpeg?

Hehe - glad someone else suggested hdr besides me. What hdr program are you using btw? I use photomatix and was very suprised at how easy it was to get stunning results with it. It was suprisingly simple to use.

[Greg McCary]

Hey Greg - nice subject but I agree with Phil - too dark and too flat. Did you shoot RAW? Maybe try it again w/jpeg?

Hehe - glad someone else suggested hdr besides me. What hdr program are you using btw? I use photomatix and was very suprised at how easy it was to get stunning results with it. It was suprisingly simple to use.

I do have a version of this in HDR, my first. But the clouds weren't as dramatic. I might post it later. I also may have enough of this one for a HDR. I know I took a ton of pictures.
Greg

[gahspidy]

Greg. it's tough to shoot a tower like this from ground level as the perpectives become too exagerated to work with. One of a few possible solutions would be to stand way, way back and hit this thing with a strong zoom lens. By standing back, you lessen the effect of the angle and compressing with the zoom also reduces that and you wind up with an angle you can deal with later or accept right off the camera.
Another possiblity, the obvious one, is to shoot this from an elevated point of view.
Finally, you could choose to use the exagerated angles to your benefit by framing the enire subject in a angle. Place the tower base at the left lower corner and the top going up near the right upper corner. Make the angle intentional all the way through. Seb has a good example of a city scene with tall buidings done this way and it came off rather strong.
I do remember seeing this photo of yours in the gallery but it had a lighter, stronger exposure, maybe I'm mistaken.

[Greg McCary]

Gary, I do have a lighter version in my gallery, I used a technique that I read about in a book. I was trying to create a moonlite night out of a harsh lite day. You are right with the angle as I find I get all kinds of lean perspectives from close angles. It seems my film camera was more forgiving in this area for some reason.
Greg