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Figures in urban landscapes 9


Figures in urban landscapes 9
Photo Information
Copyright: Per Hoj (hojper) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 733 W: 116 N: 952] (4078)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-05-10
Categories: Daily Life
Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20
Exposure: f/2.8, 1/20 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Figures in urban landscapes [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-05-21 2:25
Viewed: 746
Points: 14
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
With this one I am bending my own rules for this series a little. I have said that photos of "figures in urban landscapes" should be taken in a city, outside, contain at least one person and a certain degree of noise. This one was taken inside a shopping mall in the heart of Budapest. But as shopping malls have become an integral part of urban landscapes I decided to post it in the series. I didn't have the impression that the man was waiting for anyone. He never noticed me, in fact he was totally oblivious to all the bustle around him, and he stayed there reading his paper for a long time. I suppose that on a chilly, windy day a bench in a mall is to be preferred to a bench in a park.

Technically the hardest part was working on the colour balance to correct the funny light that you always get from the artificial lighting in places like this. I am not sure I suceeded. It is also the first of the series where the 12% gaussian noise seems a bit out of place, but when you fix yourself parameters like that, you have to take it all the way. Notice the slow shutter speed which was controlled by steadying the camera on the bench I was sitting on.
RGatward, alagoa, jmdaoudal, Dingo, cloverstar has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

OK, well I'll let you off, anyway, in a modern city the inside of a mall is such a significant part of urban life that should probably change your manifesto to account for it. I like this style of shot, and this is a good example. I'm not sure that the amount of noise quite fits the scene, which doesn't portray the harchness that the noise suggests. Still, nice one.

But this is as hurban as it gets Per!! To me the colour balance is perfect ans is the exposure. And you probably know by now that I love the grain ;-) I think you've managed to integrate the noise in this series wonderfully and this by itsef makes them unique.
Well done again.

Ana

Hello Per, this is a nice capture and I'm willing to see the rest of your series because the theme seems pretty interesting to me. The idea of adding noise is also a good one, although I personally would have prefered a larger type of grain rather than this thin gaussian noise. I don't know if you can shoot RAW with your camera, but if you can then all your problems related to white balance will be solved and you'll have no difficulties in correcting the light during post processing. Last thing, it seems a bit overexposed to me. Pulling the curves slightly down wouldn't hurt, I guess. Cheers.

Very well built, this composition is offering a nice countryman in an urban environnement, not disturbed by the light and the women shop right behind him.
Well done
Jean Michel

  • Great 
  • Dingo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2879 W: 368 N: 2718] (11723)
  • [2005-05-21 18:02]

The long exposure did a great thing on the youths in the background, Per. I don't mind you bending your own rules a bit, as you say these large shopping traps are becoming an integral part of our society very fast. TFS.

  • Great 
  • padre Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 1419 W: 90 N: 263] (4035)
  • [2005-05-21 20:44]

Is that man sitting flipping you off? Great effect. B

The lights inside malls are so bright, it sometimes can overexpose a lot of the scene. My only suggestion would be to check the white balance in the menu. Sometimes that helps in these conditions. Another reason could be the slow shutter speed you used. The slower the speed, the more the light enters the camera. Perhaps 1/250 might work. I like the way the older gentleman is relaxing on the bench reading the newspaper. Pity the other people were walking in the background, but that can't be helped in a busy place.

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