Secret Garden

[Quentin88]

Hello everyone, I would like some criticisms and comments for this picture =)

"hard" version


I think the shot would had been better if the end of the stairs would have been more out of focus, also, are those white leaves on the top too much distracting?

[Ken Curtis]

Hi Pelligrino.

For me there is too much contrast. The walls, steps and leaves above the top archway are very dark and the opening at the top of the stairs is bright. I downloaded your image and lightened the shadows and slightly darkened the highlights, which had the effect of reducing the contrast. It makes a better image for my tastes. After the adjustments, the white leaves at the very top were not bothersome and seemed to blend in with the rest of the scene nicely.

[Shadowman]

Pellegrino,

It depends on where you want to lead the viewers eyes. With the light source being at the top, the viewers eyes will naturally end up at that point, if the area is out of focus, with nothing to hold the viewer's attention (such as an outline of a figure) then blurring the top would only decrease the effectiveness of your lighting scheme.

[Quentin88]

Hi Pelligrino.

For me there is too much contrast. The walls, steps and leaves above the top archway are very dark and the opening at the top of the stairs is bright. I downloaded your image and lightened the shadows and slightly darkened the highlights, which had the effect of reducing the contrast. It makes a better image for my tastes. After the adjustments, the white leaves at the very top were not bothersome and seemed to blend in with the rest of the scene nicely.

Hi Ken, I tried your suggestion but the picture resulting miss some "drama" in my opinion. One of my doubt is than the stairs (already in this first shot version) could seem too much like a "normal stairs" when my goal instead is to give a sensation of "explore" and "discover", I want the viewer to climb those stairs feeling like he/she is the first in years to explorer these old manson'stairs. I used the high contrast and the violent light to create a more dramatic image, maybe I overdo it? Anyway, here's the "softer" and the colours version of the shot, I would like your opinions =)

"soft"


colours

[Quentin88]

Pellegrino,

It depends on where you want to lead the viewers eyes. With the light source being at the top, the viewers eyes will naturally end up at that point, if the area is out of focus, with nothing to hold the viewer's attention (such as an outline of a figure) then blurring the top would only decrease the effectiveness of your lighting scheme.

Hi John, the intent is of course to lead the viewer to climb the stairs, still I want the picture to look like a "stairs to a secret garden", an old stairs of an old abandon manson garden hidden behind fence and "do not cross/danger" signs, I want to give the viewer the "exploration thrill". As you said probably a blurried top would have been "graphicaly" wrong... but would it have strengthened the "secret-exploration" concept? I don't know what to think =( Plus, I find those leaves distracting from the "climbing", drawing too much attention to the frame top border and to the space over the arch

[bnnrcn]

I certainly prefer the color version Pellegrino,it is better as a photograph and it also suits your goal of 'stairs to a secret garden' more

[Gigi71]

Hi Pelle,
to me the colour version also appeals much more. Not sure why, but I suppose it's this bright green I simply love, so might be a very personal judgement. And you can see that the upright surface also is covered green. I don't know how to find that red wall at the top, but the bright leaves on top I like!
Anyway, I very like the attitude of that stairway up to something not yet explored, that kind of mysterious tunnel. Good sense for a scene in my eyes, well done

Gigi

[ClaudioG]

+1 for me on the colour version as well, I'm with gigi on the bright greens as well. The white flowers are ok, but if ya could clone em out even better, i really like this image. Great shot.

[Ken Curtis]

Hi Ken, ... Anyway, here's the "softer" and the colours version of the shot, I would like your opinions =)

Hi again, Pelligrino. I was not aware of your intentions when I read your original post. It just asked for c & c, and my suggestion was based on viewing the stairway and walls without the distractions at the top. Both of your new postings achieve that goal.

I am not sure how to advise you to achieve your stated goal of giving a sensation of "explore" and "discover". The first flight of stairs and the wall in your original does force the viewer's eye up the stairway. I think I might be more tempted to explore if the area directly below the archway, at the very top, were much darker and more mysterious. Being able to see the white flowers or leaves at the top of the first 11 stairs and seeing the light stones that form the corners of the next wall (after the 11 steps) seems like it would draw my attention to that next level, and I might want to go that far to see what was there. In other words, explore to the next level, and then if I liked it, maybe go up further.

As originally presented, I would not be tempted to go up because there is nothing of interest that I can see to draw me up there; it is just another old, dimly lit stairway. But that is just my personality. Perhaps others would be enticed.

[Quentin88]

Hi again, Pelligrino. I was not aware of your intentions when I read your original post. It just asked for c & c, and my suggestion was based on viewing the stairway and walls without the distractions at the top. Both of your new postings achieve that goal.

Don't worry, my fault =) I apologize.

I think I might be more tempted to explore if the area directly below the archway, at the very top, were much darker and more mysterious.

I agree with you, that would be the best solution, but I don't have idea of how elight only the "initials stairs", being in the middle of that narrow path - walls the stairs are enlighted only around midday with the result of a too bright "arch zone-background", a flash, in my opinion, would be disastrous (reflection, too harsh light etc)... how to do then?
A long exposure at night? (it's in a scary and "not so safe" place... that would be the time that I would get killed while shooting '-' < humor + pun)
I accept suggestion =)

[Marie Hass]

I love the color version, the warmth of the sunlight and color variations draw me in.

Very nice.

Marie

[IzzieK]

What Marie said...

[Kaye Leggett]

I think the colour version has achieved more of what you wanted from what you have said. In the B&W version I would experiment with a square crop using only the bottom half of the image - for me this achieves your aim of wanting to climb the stairs...... but it does make it a very different photo.

[Ken Curtis]

... I would get killed while shooting '-' < humor + pun

Gee, don't want you to hurt yourself for the sake of an image. That's why you go out with 3 or 4 guys with tatoos, big arms and belt buckles the size of a dinner plate. They stand guard while you shoot.

[Quentin88]

Gee, don't want you to hurt yourself for the sake of an image. That's why you go out with 3 or 4 guys with tatoos, big arms and belt buckles the size of a dinner plate. They stand guard while you shoot.

They sound more ridiculous than threatening '-'