City lights-Focus and Composition question

[yshon2209]

This is a nighttime shot of the tallest building in Guangzhou China, it was a nice day, where the clouds were skimming past the top of the tower, the lights from the tower illuminated the sky as it changed colors.

The question is: Do you think that I should crop the tower, to emphasize the size of the building or leave it as it is with the reflection of the tower on the river? (I quite like the relfection ) Also, how are the colors? should i leave the pink glow in the cloud around the tower or PS it out? I dodged and burned the top of the tower where the clouds pass by to make it more clear, it was quite blurry because of the long shutter speed.

[windrider86]

By any chance do you have your exif you could post for us?

[yshon2209]

unfortunately, I dont!. I have the data in a xmp format, anyone know how to convert it?

[natek313]

Originally Posted by yshon2209

unfortunately, I dont!. I have the data in a xmp format, anyone know how to convert it?

When you open a RAW file in Photoshop, any changes you make to the photo are not saved to the RAW file. Photoshop remembers the changes you make and saves that information in the .xmp file. If/When you re-open the original RAW file that changes you made previously (the ones that were saved to the .xmp file) will be displayed automatically. The EXIF data will be in the RAW file, not the .xmp file.

Does that make sense?

So, if you open up the RAW file that corresponds to the image you posted here, the EXIF data should be displayed in the ACR interface.

[yshon2209]

oh..i see. unfortunately i didnt take the photo in RAW, thanks anyway, now i know for next time.

[Sterling]

I like this shot. I would leave the reflection and I would leave the pink glow in the clouds. I like the tower's placement in the composition. Nice job.

[Bambe]

So here are my completely amateur 2 cents:

I love this photo: I like the Iights and the glow around the tower. I actually don't think that the reflection adds much to the photo and when I block that bottom part out the image becomes stronger to me. there's a lot of 'clutter' in the bottom picture that takes away from the main focus.