Luminous Landscape Forum
The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: Jeremy Roussak on May 28, 2009, 03:33:46 pm
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Comments?
Jeremy
[attachment=14100:ll.jpg]
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This is what it will actually look like in 10,000 years.
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This is what it will actually look like in 10,000 years.
or 50.
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I like the reflection, but would have enjoyed seeing the main building and reflection together. Viewing the reflection by itself makes me a little dizzy. That's just me though! Others may have a different opinion. There's some dust in the sky as well.
Rick
http://eatstickyrice.blogspot.com/ (http://eatstickyrice.blogspot.com/)
http://pa.photoshelter.com/c/rickwaggoner (http://pa.photoshelter.com/c/rickwaggoner)
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I have to agree with Rick. While the amount of detail in the reflection is amazing, it almost gives me vertigo when I'm looking at it. I do like the object floating out of the water. It serves to "anchor" the image a little bit, but I think including the Taj in the photo would work better.
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Jeremy, I agree with Rick and Jason. The problem with this shot is that you could have shot the Taj, turned the thing upside down, and had roughly the same picture. The reflection is great, but it needs the upright Taj behind it to connect with the reflection.
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I agree and including the original will reinforce the fine quality of the reflection. Nice image, BTW.
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I disagree with everyone. If you're after yet another boring postcard of one of the most photographed buildings on earth, heed the advice. I bet majority of the pictures are of the the Taj with a reflection off the pool - quick visit to google images confirms that. Having any semblance of originality when photographing such landmarks requires going to extremes, and you have succeeded.
While I like this, especially with the anchor, the color is a bit sickly to my tastes - I wonder how this would work in B&W?
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I disagree with everyone. If you're after yet another boring postcard of one of the most photographed buildings on earth, heed the advice. I bet majority of the pictures are of the the Taj with a reflection off the pool - quick visit to google images confirms that. Having any semblance of originality when photographing such landmarks requires going to extremes, and you have succeeded.
While I like this, especially with the anchor, the color is a bit sickly to my tastes - I wonder how this would work in B&W?
Harri, I agree that it would be almost impossible to shoot a picture of the Taj that doesn't end up looking like a tourist shot, but if you're going to shoot nothing but the reflection, why not just shoot the Taj and turn the picture upside down? It's sad, but the Taj has become a cliche. There's not much anyone can do about that. Jeremy's been doing some good work. This one just happens to fail.
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Jeremy's been doing some good work. This one just happens to fail.
Perhaps this image fails in its current form, but I see potential here. Try this: burn/vignette everything but the fountain in the center, and color shift away from the yellow/green cast towards blue/magenta- the light in the sky looks bluish to me, and the fountain has a magenta cast. Accent the fountain with some local dodge/burn/saturation boost, etc. Don't be afraid to really push it. Now, you have a shot that's about the fountain with an iconic background- certainly not cliche in my book.
John
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Harri, I agree that it would be almost impossible to shoot a picture of the Taj that doesn't end up looking like a tourist shot, but if you're going to shoot nothing but the reflection, why not just shoot the Taj and turn the picture upside down? It's sad, but the Taj has become a cliche. There's not much anyone can do about that. Jeremy's been doing some good work. This one just happens to fail.
I think turning the reflection photo upside down would make it much more interesting and mysterious.
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I disagree with everyone. If you're after yet another boring postcard of one of the most photographed buildings on earth, heed the advice. I bet majority of the pictures are of the the Taj with a reflection off the pool - quick visit to google images confirms that. Having any semblance of originality when photographing such landmarks requires going to extremes, and you have succeeded.
While I like this, especially with the anchor, the color is a bit sickly to my tastes - I wonder how this would work in B&W?
Well, that's what I was trying (not very successfully, it seems!) to do. (I took a few postcard shots as well, of course.)
It's not really possible to get a decent shot of the reflection in this pool and to include the Taj itself. This isn't the main reflecting pool to the north of the Taj which features in all the reflection shots, such as this one.
[attachment=14420:lltaj.jpg]
Rather, it's a small pool to the west. Behind it is a gap, then a 15-foot wall, then the monument. You can see it in this pic (another attempt at cleverness which didn't work)
[attachment=14419:ll.jpg]
That said, the fact that it couldn't have been made better doesn't make it good. I'll think about b&w and the colour fiddling that button mentioned (and turning it the other way up!) and see what happens. The colour is entirely natural: it's a shallow and rather murky pool. What appears to be a spot in the sky is a bit of muck floating in it.
Thanks for the comments: I appreciate them (and, Russ, I'm not in the least offended by being told that a shot doesn't work!). Does this do one anything for anyone?
[attachment=14421:goingin.jpg]
Jeremy
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Well, that's what I was trying (not very successfully, it seems!) to do. (I took a few postcard shots as well, of course.)
Does this do one anything for anyone?
[attachment=14421:goingin.jpg]
Jeremy
Yes! I love the tension created by the two figures at the left leaning left and those on the right leaning the other way. In particular, if the figure just to the right of center were standing straight upright, it would be a much duller image. Nice!
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Jeremy, I thoroughly agree with Eric. The tourist shots are pleasant; the kind of thing you shoot, print, and stick in a drawer, but the street shot is showable.
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I think turning the reflection photo upside down would make it much more interesting and mysterious.
I tried it and I agree with you 100%.
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Jeremy, I thoroughly agree with Eric. The tourist shots are pleasant; the kind of thing you shoot, print, and stick in a drawer, but the street shot is showable.
Thank you!.
In fact, it too was taken at the Taj - hence the wonderful glow from the white marble floor. Now all I have to do is to get it to look half as good on paper
I spent only just over a week in India, yet I seem to have come away with many more interesting photos than I've taken in much longer periods elsewhere. What a fascinating country.
Jeremy