Critique: Benefactor's Hall ORNC, Greenwich.

[RichardHealy]

The rest of the set is here. I've noted my own errors about this collection and things I'd like to improve on. I was particularly pleased this image however, especially after purchasing the recent DPS publications Captivating Colour and Seeing the Light.

It may have been in my mind, the light playing across the pillars or the semi-translucent glass and the dome across the square but it all came together in this image.

It's actually a remixing of two different HDR images. After I processed the tone map in Photomatix, I found the High and Max light setting gave two very different results: one quite bright, the other quite dark.

So I decided to fuse them in Photoshop and used selective masking to reveal details, I slightly desatured, selectively sharpened and de-noised. And this is the result. I'd be interested to know how I could improve upon it.

Thanks.

RH


Benefactor's Hall


EXIF Info:

Camera Canon EOS 450D Aperture
f/11.0 Focal Length 47 mm
ISO Speed 200
X-Resolution 300 dpi
Y-Resolution 300 dpi
Orientation Horizontal (normal)
Software Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.0 Macintosh, Photomatix.

[wulf]

Overall, I think this is a lovey image. The grand architecture and play of light come together beautifully.

The two areas that I might quibble about are:

1. I wonder if some of those dark areas could afford to be a bit lighter. You don't want to lose the effect of light streaming in but there are hints of some beautiful mouldings presently almost completely lost in darkness.

2. How did you judge the rotation of the picture? It looks a bit skewed to me but I am not entirely sure how I would fix it - you have some strong horizontal and vertical indicators but they are set off from being true to each other by the effect of perspective.

Wulf

[jojonac]

I agree with Wulf on this one.

I would like to see some more of the detail back by the window. Overall I think the picture is processed very well. But maybe mixing in some of the +1 or +2 images in Photoshop might help to bring out some of the details in the back.

jojo

[edbayani]

this is a beautiful architectural photo, but i must agree with wulf and jojonac that it is too dark to see details of the mouldings, the perspective distortion, which can all be corrected in photoshop.

[RichardHealy]

Originally Posted by wulf

Overall, I think this is a lovey image. The grand architecture and play of light come together beautifully.

The two areas that I might quibble about are:

1. I wonder if some of those dark areas could afford to be a bit lighter. You don't want to lose the effect of light streaming in but there are hints of some beautiful mouldings presently almost completely lost in darkness.

2. How did you judge the rotation of the picture? It looks a bit skewed to me but I am not entirely sure how I would fix it - you have some strong horizontal and vertical indicators but they are set off from being true to each other by the effect of perspective.

Wulf

Thanks Wulf for that.

With the silence this thread was getting I was starting to idly wonder if I had anything to improve upon!

Below are the two tone maps I combined to make this image. As you can see there is noticeably more brighter and more visible detail in both. I've also include the photoshop layer so you can see the areas I selectively lightened and cut through when mixing.

When I combined them the new picture was much darker than both the originals but I'll be honest I rather liked it. I didn't mind loosing some of the detail on the mouldings as I found them lurking in the gloom to be much more atmospheric suggesting their presence in the half-light without necessarily revealing them. (I am thinking specifically of the moulding to the immediate right of the large window) where I think there is the least amount of light directed so it would naturally be quite dark there.

As for perspective distortion, I think I know how I can correct that, it's good to point that out, now that's you've said it, it does look rather a bit askew with all those vertical edges.

I was shooting hand-held that day, so didn't bring my tripod, that fact probably accounts for the mild off-setting from centre.

[RichardHealy]

So consensus is forming:

a) A bit more light.

b) A bit more straight.

Can do....

[RichardHealy]

Remixed in the HIGH tone map to lighten the image some more and correct the odd perspective with some rotation, crop and skew tweaks. Hopefully everything is still mostly upright and central but I'll let other be the judge of that.

Compare and contrast:



Original







Tweaked

[wulf]

It definitely looks straighter now. I am noticing that it appears a bit flat - not the overall structure but the moulding on the pillars and round the window looks painted on. I wonder if the tweaked version now needs a little work on the overall values curve to increase contrast and bring back the sense of texture?

Wulf

[RichardHealy]

Originally Posted by wulf

It definitely looks straighter now.

Good.

Originally Posted by wulf

I am noticing that it appears a bit flat - not the overall structure but the moulding on the pillars and round the window looks painted on. I wonder if the tweaked version now needs a little work on the overall values curve to increase contrast and bring back the sense of texture?

Hmm... curves. Not had much experience with those - any advice on how to do that? I'm using Photoshop Elements 8.

I will try adjusting some of the lighting on the moulding to bring out more contrast too if that is what you feel it needs. See what it looks like.

But overall - an improvement?

[RichardHealy]

Oh I should add it's called "The Painted Room" for a reason!

All the banding in the columns are not carved in relief - they are painted on! Same goes too for the moulding, I expect.