Varanasi

[susanschermer]

Hindu pilgrims pay homage to the holy river Ganges at sunrise. Varanasi, formerly Benares is the most sacred and fascinating place in India.
Canon 40D with 28-135 at 44mm. f8 1/250

[beykirch]

Hi Susan,

the mood, exposure and overall composition are perfect. The only point I suggest is to crop it a bit from the bottom.

Regards

Bernd

[susanschermer]

Hi Bernd,
I would agree with you except it would eliminate some of the floating candles which, I think, introduce a mood and invite you in to the scene.
Susan

[Dave Mills]

Susan, I agree with you about not removing the candles. They act as a foreground and add to the storytelling. I like the lighting and the mood it creates.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Susan,
I do like the candles leading you into the frame and may have preferred a hair of room on the left to improve the flow of those candles leading you into the frame. I think you captured the mood and feel of the place very nicely. The flow of the buildings is very nice also as it goes from sharp and focused to soft and muted seperating the boats from the BG nicely. Nicely composed.

[Tom Walter]

Hi Susan,
Wonderful image. Talk about a leading line and center of interest! The lighting on the center of interest is super. One can't help but keep looking at it. I agree with Roman that it would be nice to have jsut a little more image on the left.
Tom

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Susan,
I guess this is more travel scene than landscape. However, lovely capture. I would like to take a bit of space from the top and add at the bottom. I agree with Roman that just a little bit more space at the left would have been good. The lamps or diya as we call it, add a lot of visual interest to the scene.

Did you capture the Maha aarti in the evening? I mean the evening ritual involving those huge lamps. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Paul Marcellini]

I love the mood here Susan. I would also keep the lamps. I might take a touch off the top, and if you did that and kept the same aspect ration I would take in a touch form the right to eliminate the bit of bright yellow building coming into frame. Otherwise, the color contrast and comp work really well here.

[Steve Patterson]

I love the mood and soft dreamy color here. Looks like a scene from a movie....I wouldn't change a thing.

[susanschermer]

Paul, I took your suggestion and cropped out the building on the right. Also went back to the raw and found some more room on the left. I think I like it better.

[Jay Gould]

Susan, I would leave in the building on the right; just take off a sliver to eliminate the bright yellow - crop to the corner - as suggested by Paul. The RH building give the image height and a perspective that draws a line from the higher building to the water. IMHO without the building the image is too compact. Lovely placid colors and mood.

[Mike Fuhr]

Is it me or does it need an ever so slight CW rotation? May just be my eyes. Great composition.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Susan,
Love the added space left but agree with Jay on the RH side. Re-post shows crop right with space.....I also lightened the FG boat section with a levels layer and a brightness contrast layer. Didn't do the rotation...but it may need an ever so slight one. I like the way the tops of the building flow now as in your original.
A few thoughts for your excellent and tricky comp.
PS...I may have needed to be more careful when merging the 2....but you get the idea.

[Jay Gould]

Susan, Roman's repost definitely accomplishes what I was trying to suggest. Thanks Roman.

PS: Roman you need to remove a sliver of a sliver from the right to eliminate the bright yellow - at least on my monitor. I am seeing the edge of the top floor yellow window.