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Mercedes Benz museum, Stuttgart, Germany. These steps are positioned near the exit of the huge eight storied building. The orange side walls and grey steps created a nice abstract kind of image. Would welcome your comments and criticisms here!
| Brand: | NIKON CORPORATION |
| Camera: | Nikon D90  Check out Nikon Nation! |
| Lens: | 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G VR |
| Recording media: | JPEG (digital) |
| Date Taken: | 1 Jun 2012 - 5:00 PM |
| Focal Length: | 18mm |
| Lens Max Aperture: | f/3.5 |
| Aperture: | f/3.5 |
| Shutter Speed: | 1/125sec |
| Exposure Comp: | +1/3 |
| ISO: | Hi 5600 |
| Exposure Mode: | Shutter speed priority AE |
| Metering Mode: | Multi-segment |
| Flash: | No Flash |
| Title: | Steps |
| Username: | 
Apurva |
| Uploaded: | 13 Aug 2012 - 7:15 PM |
| Tags: | Architecture, General, Specialist / abstract |
| VS Mode Rating |
102 (75% won) These stats show the percentage of wins and the rating score that your photo has achieved. You can go to the VS Mode by clicking on this icon. Signup to e2Signup to e2 to see which photo this has won or lost against in the vs mode |
| Votes: | Voting Disabled |
 | Critique Wanted |
| Modifications Welcome (Upload a Modification) |
Comments
Very well captured, I like the hint of a glow from the diffused lights. I would be tempted to crop in further down so that there is just a rectangle at the top of the stairs, and perhaps include a little more of the wall on the right so there is orange between the border and the lower stair - I imagine this would make the composition a little more balanced, and would probably have to be captured in-camera rather than added in post. Good spot though!
Jarod
The colours work well here and the sharp bits are nicely sharp but I think that it's let down somewhat by the composition.
This is crying out for the staircase to have been exactly central in the image with a portrait, or perhaps, a square crop.
Bren.
Hi, and congratulations.
I would talk about colour first, it is amazing. Stuttgart, Germany is the last place on the world I would think this picture comes from, No, I would put last Alaska. Colour is vibrant (orange) as light by strong natural light. After a second look on the picture, I have come to realise that you have taken this picture while looking down to the staircase. in my first "reading" I thought you had **** it from a lower point upwards. Colours are still pleasing (white and grey) gave that illusion that white was the colour of teh steps while gray the shaded vertical side of the stairs.
It is ambiguous and that is a good point I think.
Off centre could be a matter of preference, I strive for perfect symmetry; but I shall mention from my experience with old film SLRs we rarely had 100% view of the frame through the viewfinder. I am not sure if today's cameras present the full frame on the live view screen, then again you may had used the viewfinder to take the shot. You will not meet the firing squad for this; things happen, although it looks way too much off centre. It would be good to tell us how did you take the shot, were you framing it form the viewfinder or the screen of the camera? Did you actually go for asymmetrical shape?
There is a small triangle of white (grey?) on left top corner, I think it does not offer anything to the picture.
To my humble opinion, despite looking simplistic, this picture is complex. It has a lot of elements, colours, shapes, leading lines, two tones of colour on the landing, asymmetrical composition. These elements do not unify it. I think a tighter crop excluding everything above the handrails and the fisrt step from the bottom of the picture would probably be sufficient to have us looking at it with awe. It would be simple yet enough. Less is more as they say. Enough said.
it is definitely shot from the top.. light on the floor tells that.. but a fine abstract with interesting color combo.. and an overall feel of animation.. very nice.. regards.. the zig-zags where the steps and the sidewalls meet are very interesting.. and is a minimalist.. very few elements but very charming and well composed.
Welcome to Ephotozine Apurva.
I have looked at your link to your work on the other site, - vey impressive, - you are a skilled photographer.
As an abstract, its a very subjective thing, and any attempt to critique the image technically is limited, - in fact theres one small point for me, - its not level; but perhaps it doesnt need to be. Its works well as an abstract, and also, it can work in other ways, crops, etc.
I find for example, if the red and yellow saturation is reduced, the reflection of the white stair strips become visible in the side walls. Ive loaded this as one mod, - scroll up and click the modifications tab.
A central composition works, - though perhaps less abstract, and more obviously a staircase, and Ive added two interpretations of this also. Im reminded of stairway to heaven with the last mod.
regards, and enjoy the site
Willie
Thanks everyone for taking time to critique this image.
Pablo, thanks for that detailed review. I have deliberately taken this as an asymmetrical composition. I have also taken similar shot at the same venue in a bilaterally symmetrical composition which I will upload here soon.
Banehawi, thanks for that welcome. I checked out your modification and you really have done a nice job. The reflections of the strips really add to the effect of this picture. And thanks for visiting my other web page and kind comments!
Excellent work on your photo-site and this is no exception. Like others before me, I too feel this is crying out for symmetry. I have also uploaded a mod for you to see, but there is a lot of choice there, dependent upon your point of view. I feel that levelling is essential though.
Anyway, I like it.
FRank
I haven't read any of the other critiques. It makes a great thumbnail image. The colours and lines are very strong. My two comments would be 1) The steps and hand rails are leading the eye up to something, yet the top of the handrails are cropped off. I'd like to have seen just abit more of what's up there.
The other thing was that whilst the steps are horizontal, the verticals at the top are not. As this image is all about lines I wonder if taking the image from a few inches to the right (ie in the middle of the stairwell) would have 'straightened' the Image up slightly? photoshop's transform tool would also be able to do the same thing as well.
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