Roller Hall, ASU, Mountain Home

[flytyer57]

I finally got around to take a few shots at the ASU campus here in Mountain Home, AR. I started out with 3 bracketed shots using ±2. When I opened it in Photomatix, I decided I liked the Fushion mode better with just the darks and highlights pics used, so this is actually the ±2 shots.

I'm looking for comments on lighting and composition here. Of course any other comments are welcome also.

Fstop - f/10
Exposure - roughly 10sec.
ISO - 400
Focal Length - 23mm

(just noticed the noise in the sky. this was caused by compressing the file to fit here.)

[Doug Sundseth]

Originally Posted by flytyer57

I finally got around to take a few shots at the ASU campus here in Mountain Home, ..."

Arizona State University has a campus in Idaho?

Originally Posted by flytyer57

...AR.

Oh, now I understand.

Originally Posted by flytyer57

I'm looking for comments on lighting and composition here. Of course any other comments are welcome also.

I think the tonal balance you've achieved works pretty well. But the yellow at the camera left end of the building and the spire looks quite green and perhaps desaturated relative to the rest of the image.

Since the building is quite centered, I'd like to see it shot from straight on or perhaps from further around towards the side. The current angle looks odd to me. FWIW, I don't have a problem with the centered composition for this subject.

[flytyer57]

When I hear ASU, I keep thinking the Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. I lived there for several years and it's just common for me. I've only been in AR for 2 years so it's something to get used to.

As for the green you see, it must be from some of the lights on campus. They had some fluorescent lights on in the lower left side downstairs which may be causing the greenish cast.

I did take a few shots from straight on, but there is a tree in the way. I'll get around to processing them later (sometime) and post the results if they turn out.

[flytyer57]

Not HDR but here's a frontal view of the same building.

Fstop - f/10
Exposure - 10sec.
ISO - 400
Focal Lenght - 18mm

[Doug Sundseth]

I see what you mean about the tree. Though I actually kind of like the dynamic tension it brings to the composition, that may well not match your vision.

[flytyer57]

The next time I go there, I'm thinking of getting closer to the building to avoid that tree. Only problem is, I don't have a lens that will shoot wide enough to get the whole building. I'll have to settle on just the rotunda and tower.

[Doug Sundseth]

If your lens isn't wide enough, you can always do a pano. For a subject like this, I'd shoot the panes in portrait to give a little more working room at the corners.

[flytyer57]

Why didn't I think of that?

I'll have to manufacture a bracket for my tripod though so my lens is centered on the tripod. I've thought of buying one, but not only do they want your first born, they also want to enslave you for life to buy one.