Accomplished antique?

[JoshuaLucas]

Here in Augusta, Ga, our downtown dates back to the 1800s. So there are plenty of very old brick walls and buildings to shoot. I shot this picture knowing it deserved some antique feeling. I adjusted the coloring myself and added a layer of dust and grain, but adjusted the opacity to just barely show. Did I accomplish what I set for? Does it have that antique feel? What more could I have done?

Any thoughts are much appreciated.

Shutter: 1/160
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 55mm

Aperture priority

[AnnetteJ]

Somehow this isn't quite working for me. I like old buildings and crumbly brickwork generally, but I think what's bothering me is that your shot is neither one thing nor another. Old sepia photos tend to have a very defined subject, they never wasted film on boring old walls like we moderns do. So the sepia tone without the kind of subject they would have just doesn't feel right. Maybe that's a good thing, to comment on the differences between photography then and now, but from what you said I don't think that is your intention. I would prefer to see this shot in colour as a modern shot of old crumbly walls having survived to the present day and placing them in their current context. If you want to take an old-fashioned looking pic of the buildings in that interesting location, you should maybe try to get a whole building in, just a portrait of the building, being careful not to get any modern stuff in the shot, or cloning it out later. I'm sure it's such an interesting place you'll be back to shoot again and again and your shots will be better each time - we'll be interested to see them all!

[ericw]

Your image has interesting lines. And I think the post processing aspect of the photo definately accomplishes what you were after.

Like Annette I think its lacking a subject and I just tend to check out the air conditioner (?) which doesn't really lend itself to the antiqueness. Further down the wall it looks like there's a contrast in building color/time period, maybe that could be used as a subject for photograph which would lend itself to similar processing treatment?

[RoyL]

What is needed to make this image more interesting is to get rid of the sky!! that shouldn't be there in the top left corner. Also should have made the white sign the center of focus.

I am also not sure about the sharpening. I always have a problem with this when I view DPS thumbnail images so it could be that but the image is very soft.

[mdruziak]

I think effect makes this look like an old picture so you have succeeded with that. But like others say, there is no subject in the photo.

Can you go back to that same spot, look around and identify one thing that says "old building" to you? Maybe a bricked up window, or an old fading sign, or maybe the rusty downspout. Take a few different photos from different angles, different cropping different depth of field etc of the first subject you find. Then find another and interesting feature and take different photos of it.

If you don't know where to start, go in close and photograph the edge of a chipped brick then back off a little and look for your next subject.

I think you are on to something with this scene and toning. You just have to work it a little more with the camera.

One of the reasons you might not have a sharp image in this case is because you only have a Depth of Field around 16 feet assuming you focused 20' into the frame. Open your aperture up for more DOF.

[JoshuaLucas]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I'm definitely heading back down there in the next day to try a few more shots out.. i enjoyed the photo at first, but now I'm rethinking the whole angle and object of focus.

The photos aren't as sharp mostly due to me having to attach them. And a little from the dust effect I added.