Hartman Bridge

[wbrook13]

I would like some critique on this shot I took last night just after sunset. The main things I would like to know are:
1. Does the composition work? (I've tried to follow the "rule of thirds") If not, what would you do differently?
2. How about the exposure? Is the lower left part of the image too dark and too boring?
The only PP done was to decrease the exposure by 3/4 stop and crop a little off the right side.



Camera: Canon EOS 50D
Exposure: 30 seconds
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 24 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire

Any ideas or suggestions to improve this image are welcome. Thanks for your help.

[4ndrew]

I like this shot, especially how the shoreline leads your eyes to the bridge.

The bridge does seem to be a little far away though. One thought would be to move back a bit, physically (not sure how possible that is at this location) and then use a longer focal length to compress the elements in the shot, thus making the bridge appear larger/closer.

Really cool looking shot though!


andrew

[SwissJon]

I agree about the focal length..

It would have been nice to see a rock or post or something in the water, but this photo stands on its own anyway, without it.

I think the only thing I might have done differently is use an ND filter and taken the shot closer to sunset when there was more colour in the sky. It must have been nearly dark at the time you took this for you to get a 30 sec exposure.

Yeah.. Nice photo.

[wbrook13]

Originally Posted by 4ndrew

I like this shot, especially how the shoreline leads your eyes to the bridge.

The bridge does seem to be a little far away though. One thought would be to move back a bit, physically (not sure how possible that is at this location) and then use a longer focal length to compress the elements in the shot, thus making the bridge appear larger/closer.

Really cool looking shot though!


andrew

Originally Posted by SwissJon

I agree about the focal length..

It would have been nice to see a rock or post or something in the water, but this photo stands on its own anyway, without it.

I think the only thing I might have done differently is use an ND filter and taken the shot closer to sunset when there was more colour in the sky. It must have been nearly dark at the time you took this for you to get a 30 sec exposure.

Yeah.. Nice photo.

Thanks, guys, for your comments. Unfortunately, I couldn't move back any further at this location (because of a road); and, if I were able to move back, the shoreline would not have been visible. The place I am standing is near a ledge, between a couple of trees, with a 10-foot drop down to the water.
I was there for approx. 45 minutes, waiting for the "right moment" . . . but it never really happened.
Jon, taking your idea about shooting earlier, I took one of my earlier shots from that evening, applied a Graduated Filter with -2.5 exposure, and left it un-cropped, to show more of the shoreline. Now you can see the highway signs on the bridge. Are they too distracting?
If you take this shot too early, the bridge is not lighted, which is one of the things that makes it stand out.
Anyway, do you think this is an improvement?



Camera Canon EOS 50D
Exposure 20
Aperture f/8.0
Focal Length 24 mm
ISO Speed 100
Exposure Bias +2 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire

[mwanafunzi]

I second what has already been said. I will also add that the bridge is slightly out of focus and and underexposed.

[wbrook13]

Originally Posted by mwanafunzi

I second what has already been said. I will also add that the bridge is slightly out of focus and and underexposed.

Thanks, mwanafunzi. I appreciate your comments, and agree with you on it being slightly out of focus - I struggle with focus sometimes when it's dark. As far as underexposed, are you referring to the lighted part of the bridge?

[Sterling]

Just a suggestion - what about a vertical crop right around the centre line of your shot? Put the bridge at the upper left "thirds" point. The subject is obviously the bridge and not much is going on in the left half of the shot anyway ...

[wbrook13]

Originally Posted by Sterling

Just a suggestion - what about a vertical crop right around the centre line of your shot? Put the bridge at the upper left "thirds" point. The subject is obviously the bridge and not much is going on in the left half of the shot anyway ...

Good idea, Sterling. I actually shot a few verticals, and this was my favorite. Is this what you had in mind?



Camera Canon EOS 50D
Exposure 15
Aperture f/5.6
Focal Length 24 mm
ISO Speed 100
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire

[Sterling]

^^ Yes, that's just what I was thinking. IMO, that composition is miles better than the original.

[SwissJon]

Yeah.. I like that vertical much better.. You seem to have suffered the same problem I did this evening.. Got your gear and camera all set up exactly as you want and then the sunset forgets to happen..

And ain't it amazing how little things like gravity and 10 foot drops always seem to get in the way of the perfect shot?