Pondicherry

[purnendu]

Hi All,
I am very new to Photography and bought my first ever camera just one year back. Want your advise on a photograph taken by me in a trip to Pondicherry. Trying to benifit from your experience

About the photo:
It was taken in my hotel room at night, a 300 year old building, to me this picture represents what Pondicherry is all about- Wine, Peace and Art.

Gear:
Nikon D3000, 18-55 VR Kit lens.

Specs:
Do not remember actually. It was kind of underexposed deliberately though.

Post Production:
None. Yet to learn of any such tools

PS: Could not find the HTML link thing in Flickr so attaching the picture

The 'spirit' of Pondichery | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[Doug Sundseth]

First, the forum rules ask for EXIF data for the stuff you'd like to get critiqued. Here are the ones from this shot (you can get them from Flickr -- Actions -> View Exif Info):

Camera Nikon D3000
Exposure 0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture f/4.5
Focal Length 30.0 mm
ISO Speed 400
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash

Critique:

I think you have a workable still life subject here, but I would shoot it a bit differently. First, I think you have too much dead space to the top and left of the photo. I'd recommend cropping this photo (or framing a new photo) much tighter to the subject.

Second, I think the edge of the window covering does not help your image. I'd move around to the left, and possibly move the lamp and glass a bit, to get a cleaner background.

Third, while the quality of light here is decent, I think you would be helped by a light separating the glass from the background a bit more. This could be an off-camera flash or another continuous light coming in from the left. Since the lamp is so specular, you would have to be pretty careful to flag the light off so it doesn't show up as a reflection. This might also give you a bit of fill without killing the mood of the photo.

FWIW, the photo doesn't communicate a location to me, though. If you want others to get something of the emotion that you feel when you see it, I think you need something that ties this photo to the "heritage building". Right now, it could be in nearly any hotel or motel in the world.

HTH

[purnendu]

Thanks Doug, will take care