Get the grid out?

[lee kivi]

Hi all; I was trying to get a little different view of the skyline. I took this shot through
the grid over the concert area in Chicago's Grant park. Not real happy with it and was hoping to get some opinions of what would make it better. Crop out the lower portion,maybe not have the grid fill the frame, any ideas? Thanks



Fuji S700,iso-400, SS-200, f-6.8

[LeeR]

I really like this idea though I agree that it somehow fails to reach the WOW button. I notice a couple of things right off. First, I would not let the tops of the buildings touch the grid. Don't ask me why, I just think the tops need breathing room. Second, the light isn't doing much for you. This would have been a much different shot if you had some blue sky with silky clouds and sunlight strong enough to cast shadows of the grid on the ground. Third and last, if it were me, I would shoot a lot of shots here looking for just the right combination. I try as much as possible to previsualize the results but when things are as complex as they are in this image you almost have to experiment a bit. I said at the beginning that this didn't quite hit the WOW button but I think the concept has the potential to do just that provided you have the right light and find the right combination of elements.

[lee kivi]

Thanks Lee,
I did get a few other shots of this but thought this was the best. Yeah, the sky wasn't cooperating that day, in fact it started to rain just after this shot. Thanks again for the ideas.

[neoclick]

I think the grid could make for some really cool shots, but for me, it would take me a lot of shooting different angles and experimenting to get it right.

Also I would go back at different times of the day in order to shoot better light. Maybe a low-light tripod shot at dusk, just when the fading light in the sky blends with the lights from the buildings. Then work out a nice comp of the buildings through the grid.

I don’t know what I would do with this pic to make it better.

[lee kivi]

Thanks neoclick, now that the weather is nice I'll have to plan a day downtown so I can spend more time playing with different angles and lighting. I'll probably play with this shot in Gimp a little and end up using the delete key.