Finding the Light

[sujata]

Hello,

Took this photo from inside Elephanta Caves(Mumbai, India). Wanted to show the symmetry in the pillar pattern.
Should it have been a vertical crop? Is the contrast good? Or is the doorway too bright?



Exif-

Camera - Canon EOS 1000D
Shutter Speed - 1/21 sec
Aperture - F/3.5
Focal length - 18mm
ISO -100
Taken in Shutter Priority mode

[starrylaurie]

Honestly, all I see is the doorway. The outside is definitely blown here. Did you use a flash?

[tbarabash]

I think I'd use HDR with this I think it could turn out incredible then. I don't see how else except with a couple different light sources behind you you could evenly capture any of the details in the pillars without mindlessly blowing out the entrance

[LeeR]

I am not a big fan of HDR but I will admit that this is exactly the kind of scene it was intended to help with. There was a time when this kind of shot would have been perfectly acceptable, but HDR has all but eliminated that.
I do, however, have a couple of suggestions. A few strategically placed remote flashes that could highlight the beams would make a great improvement. Also, one of the things we want to do in an image is provide some clues that indicate scale. There are two people in your image but both are partially concealed. At least one person, clearly visible in the image, would help us see how impressively large the room and columns.are,

[sujata]

Thanks everyone for the advice.
Next time will try to use HDR in such situations.