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Hilary Hann
07-25-2010, 02:59 AM
I've been wanting to photograph these old farm buildings for over 10 years but never got round to it. This morning I decided that the time was right but found that the only place to get a view of them is from the busy freeway where you aren't allowed to stop. I drove around all the back lanes trying to get a view but nothing. So I've taken the shot through the window with the car on the emergency stopping lane in early light but not as early as I was hoping. Lost an hour in looking for a better spot. So I'm prepared to go back again (will have to be a Sunday again because of traffic), but this is the only view. Any suggestions on how I can showcase these rather rustic old buildings better? I don't think I've done them justice. Perhaps I could try an evening shot with backlighting … but then I'd lose the red paint. I have some closer shots but I did like the sloping horizon. Any C & C welcomed.

7D; EF70-200 @ 78mm; ISO200; 1/1000; f10; Manual exp; hand held (nowhere to put a tripod without getting cleaned up by fast traffic!)

Dave Mills
07-25-2010, 08:38 AM
Hi Hilary,too bad you can't get on the property so you could freely move around in order to get the best vantage points. First off I feel you have way too much sky that really isn't doing much for the image. I would crop about 50- 60% off from the top to the top of the farthest rt hand tree. The light is still warm and pleasing.
Compositionally the image shows me 4 objects in a row where none has a great deal of interest the way they are presented.
If you feel the place has alot of potential you could always ask permission to shoot on the property. Worse case scenerio is they say no...

Roman Kurywczak
07-25-2010, 09:00 AM
Hi Hilary,
I'm with Dave on the sky.......even if you had more clouds the pano may accentuate the horizon even more. Too bad on the limitations but Daves idea of asking permission may wind up being the only option. Only recommendation I will make is a question due to where you have to park.......by moving to the right, do you think you can get seperation between the 2 buildings and also the trees? That would further help the scene as would the hour you lost......I can't tell you how many times that has happened to me......can be quite frustrating so I admire your perserverance!

David Thomasson
07-25-2010, 11:39 AM
You've already got some good advice for re-shooting. As to post, I agree that this shot can do with less sky. I would also add a deliberate and
more dramatic gradient toward the end of "bringing the light down" onto the buildings ... and some further brightening of the ground/buildings
toward the same end. Beautiful old scene, well worth another trip or two. Hope you'll post your results.

http://a.imageshack.us/img685/408/barns.gif

Hilary Hann
07-25-2010, 04:40 PM
Thank you for the excellent advice. I'll see what I can do. Taken me over 15yrs to get this far so will try to speed up the process with suggestions given. I don't know why I love these sheds but they have a special quality to me.

Fabs Forns
07-25-2010, 04:42 PM
Other than the sky, I really like the way you arranged the composition, well balanced.

Hilary Hann
07-25-2010, 06:30 PM
Thanks Fabs. :)