Detail oriented

[S_Sanyal]

Camera Canon EOS 500D with 18-200mmIS lense
Exposure 0.077 sec (1/13)
Aperture f/13.0
Focal Length 100 mm
ISO Speed 100
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Processed in Aperture3

Its been long, got a chance to shoot landscape again. The story is at the bottom, please read that after your reactions to the picture.
I attempted detail; this is the one shot from about 150 that I felt expressed everything about the place. Need feedback on the composition (i've tried to keep it simple), DoF and the monochrome processing. Also what does this image tell you?

Story:I visited the derelict site where Union Carbide India Limited once stood at Bhopal. On 2-3 Dec1984, 26000T of Methyl IsoCyanate Gas leakage scarred mankind with a tragedy of possibly unprecedented proportions and scale. We participated in the symposium that was all about remembering it equally as the story of survival and not just tragedy. This is from our site visit. If anyone's interested, there's more here, it may also give insights as to why I chose to shoot this, after the event itself is over 26 years old :

Bhopal disaster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Krusty79]

Your shot looks to me like nature is trying to reclaim an abandoned industrial building. That Bhopal disaster was one of the worst industrial incidents ever. Usually, people will shoot this in color to emphasize the new green growth, but seeing it in B&W makes it look more depressing, as if the outlook is bleak for this new plant growth. That was close to what you were trying to convey, wasn't it?

[S_Sanyal]

Thanks for your interpretation Krusty, its very close!

Yes, I am trying to portray the reclamation by nature.Broken window pane and the blurred structure background shows its a disaster site. Then there's the plant of course to clinch the idea.

B/w (depressing as you point out) is to show there are still issues and problems to be addressed (like the contamination which persists till date and the rehabilitation of the people)

Thanks again for your feedback.

[sk66]

Depends on your intended focus/meaning.
The B/W and majority of focus being on the broken glass makes it more "negative/pessimistic".

To make it more positive color would have emphasized the "vibrance". Likewise, having the focus/exposure set for the plant and letting the rest fall off would make the plant more "important". a tighter composition would also have made the plant more "important".

Personally, I think the balance is a bit off from what you intended...it's more "bleak" than hopeful. I think this crop in b/w with the exposure and focus set for the plant (and letting the rest fall off some) would have given it a more "balanced" feeling. This might also be a great subject/idea for selective color (GASP!) or a desaturated color effect.

[S_Sanyal]

Thanks sk. Important observation made there. I decided to crop very subtly as the glass is integral to my idea. Also not a big fan of selective colour! So I just created a low saturation for everything but the green. Honoring yours as well as Krusty's observation before you, to make it more hopeful looking,here's my second take:

[SwissJon]

I know you said you aren't a big fan of selective colour, neither am I unless it has a purpose, I think in your message, this would emphasise the plant, draw the eye on a green hope for the future while putting it in a context of a black and white depressing environment, broken glass and derelic industrial background. By treating the two elements of what you are trying to get accross in a different way, you can clearly draw out the two messages you have in a single photograph. I think the juxtaposition of the colours natural element against the black and white broken glass tells a very strong story.

Here, a quick example of what I mean:

[PShah]

Hi,

Being new to the forum and no where near to comment on the photo, I feel the selective colour works as pointed out by Swissjon. I have been to Bhopal and have experience of meeting the people affected by the leak.

Even though there is lot to done by the government and the company, the people of the city have moved on and are trying to rebuild their lives. The selective colouring photo gives this message perfectly..... in my humble opinion....

Regards
PShah

[mwanafunzi]

I agree with sk66, when I first saw the photo my thought was more that you were going for the negative.

Whether in color or b&w, the plant needs to be in focus and it should not get cut of the way it has been.

One thing that I think really works well, is the way the broken window frames the plant.

[S_Sanyal]

Thanks, Swissjon, Pshah and mwanafunzi. Another edit, (very low saturation)...as an alternative to Swissjohn's:

[SwissJon]

That's nice Sanyal.. If you're happy with it, go with it.. It's your photo.