Old Books in an Old Place

[AlphaBjerke]

I saw this really cool cellar last week that had used books and antiques in it and thought it might make a good subject for an HDR, so I went back this week and brought my tripod. I took 5 separate images and combined them in Photomatix. Actually, since they were taken in RAW, I made a sixth one out of the darkest one just for the heck of it.

My questions:

Do you think this is a good subject for HDR?

Is the left side too dark (I wanted it dark, and previous iterations of this photo were too dark. Maybe you think this one is too.)

Do you think composition-wise I should go back and put a person pouring over a book against one of the cases?

Do you see any evidence that I needed to fix any perspective problems due to the wide angle lens?



EXIF info

17mm
200 IS0
F8
shutter speed from 4-20 secs

Thanks!

[Sterling]

I can see why you'd want to come back to shoot it. The main problem I see is the lack of a definite subject in this photo. The books in the foreground are interesting, the carpets on the floor are interesting, the book stacks are interesting and the globes are interesting. Everything is interesting but nothing really captures your attention. Your idea of adding a person would immediately provide somewhere to focus on.

The lights on the ceiling are pretty distracting and could probably be safely cropped out. And yes there is some minor perspective problems from the wide angle as seen comparing the ceiling to the top of the frame. I don't think the dark left side adds to the shot - I'd be tempted to move the camera forward to get rid of it.

I don't mind the HDR treatment as it it doesn't go overboard.

[AlphaBjerke]

Sterling, thanks so much for addressing my questions in your critique. I may have to go back and add a person in the shot, albeit a person that can remain very still for the long shutter speed.

My question about the dark left side wan't clear and I am sorry about that. I could easily have made that part of the image lighter and brought it out of the shadows, but I chose to keep it in the shadows, I guess for the sake of creating a mood. I guess you're telling me that it doesn't work for you.

Anyway, thanks for the critique!