Critique Welcomed Up

[Keith Hollister]

A shot straight up through a metal latticework dome in a masonry portico at one of the entrances to The Residences, a very upscale townhouse and dining complex in Winter Park. I need to go back with the E-M5 and my fisheye lens and do this again.

Fuji X-E2, 14mm/2.8 @ f/8, ISO 1600, handheld (well actually sitting on the floor pointing the camera up)

 

[Dan Cattermole]

Now that's pretty good hey?!
Well done

 

[Keith Hollister]

Thanks. I left a blown highlight in there just for you, Dan.

 

[Glenn Clabo]

Yipes...I feel like I'm falling into some kind of well. Really nice Keith.

 

[Dan Cattermole]

Thanks. I left a blown highlight in there just for you, Dan.

Thanks Keith.....

 

[Rob MacKillop]

I like this one, Keith. But I agree, begs a fisheye!

 

[Pete Askew]

Nicely done Keith. But it just cries out for a square crop!

 

[Keith Hollister]

Thanks, Pete. I have to disagree on the crop on this one. I actually shot a couple that were more conventionally framed for a square print, but decided I liked this better. I think the extra visual information in the corners provides a larger sense of vertigo, so to speak. In this case, it was very intentional, not that I don't generally embrace the "better to be lucky than good" principle

Again, a square presentation would certainly work, but it would emphasize the symmetry and concentric geometries rather than the spatial characteristics. Of course this reads like some sort of art critic BS, but that's my story (and I'm sticking to it, as the Country song goes).

 

[Pete Askew]

Nothing wrong with sticking with it and I'd probably agree. To exploit the symmetry and fit better to a square crop I suspect that you would need to take the shot exactly on axis. And then it would be a very different sort of image as you say. Did you just sit the camera on the floor with the self time on?

 

[Keith Hollister]

No, I sat on the floor and aimed it overhead and took the shot. Which is why the ISO is sorta high - needed to keep the shutter speed up in a somewhat awkward position.

I took a couple pretty much like what you describe, but thought they were rather boring. I was feeling frisky yesterday

 

[Pete Askew]

There's dedication for you! I do like that diagonal running through the image though so it was worth the acrobatics I think!

 

[Keith Hollister]

Whatever it takes to get the shot

 

[Chris Dodkin]

I do like the layered toning in this image Keith

 

[Keith Hollister]

Thanks, Chris, but there is no toning. I assume you meant "layered tones" or something similar?

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Sorry Keith - I meant the layers of grey tone as you go up the ceiling - nice blocks, with that grad up to the light

 

[Keith Hollister]

no apology needed - I figured that was what you meant, just didn't want somebody wandering by thinking he was supposed to be seeing toning