Technically my most challenging shot so far!

[S_Sanyal]

Canon EOS 500D with 14mm f/2.8 lens
Exposure 0.167 sec (1/6) Aperture f/2.8 Focal Length 14 mm ISO Speed 400 Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire

Hello folks, really want to know if this was worth it. This is a very unique temple at Assam, India.

I felt that the conditions were rather challenging and this is a live shrine, so I had no options of using flash or setting up any controlled lights apart from what I had in the scene.

What bugs me most about this composition is the empty space at the bottom while the doorway top is right at the upper edge of frame; but please bear in mind I had a total of maybe 5 seconds to plan and execute this image! Is it too bad (compositionally)??

Also want to now if the lighting is too dark or not, there was a lot of digital noise in the image, especially in the dark areas. So in cleaning that up I had to gamble a little of the brightness.

I somehow like the fact that there's a distortion as I feel it makes the image a bit dramatic. What are your views on this?

I also want to know how the Dof feels in this picture, kept it shallow as i wanted the figures to be more like in the background with the "lingas" (small stone shrines) as the main foreground.

Thanks in advance.

P.S. Anyone interested in the description of where / what this is can see the description on my flickr page

[bruceliv]

Your attempt is for a very interesting subject. And it surely deserves some attention. Pardon me for taking the liberty of a grab from flickr (you disabled downloading). I adjusted crop, perspective, applied some noise reduction and brightened up a bit. This is only a suggestion -- some food for thought...

[S_Sanyal]

Hi Bruce, thanks for the inputs and intervention, its very very welcome, but unfortunately i cant see your edited image

can you please post it as attachment or as any other alternative for viewing? thanks!

[bruceliv]

Should work now. There was something wrong with the link

[S_Sanyal]

No luck still!

[dlambert]

I like this. There's an interesting progression from the light in the upper-right to the shadows on the left. I also like how the DOF extends the distance from you to the door.

[S_Sanyal]

THanks Bruce, upon second look, the crop though it changes the scene completely, is very nice!

Somehow with figure in the white attire in background, the balance is maintained. thanks.