Critique New Buffalo Condos

[gnagel]

I captured these photographs of a condominium complex in New Buffalo, Michigan earlier this week:

1

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2

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3

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Thanks for looking...
Glenn

 

[rick_reno]

like the b&w photo a lot.

 

[NikonAIS]

I like the B&W one best, of course I think most things look better in B&W, regardless of what Paul Simon says!

The color ones are perhaps a little on the flat side contrast and saturation-wise. It looked like it must have been a partly cloudy day, which is to be expected. When I shoot architectural photos I put a 3 axis spirt level in the hot shoe, use my geared tripod head and my 28mm f/3.5 PC (Perspective Control) Nikkor and the D850. It works like a champ. It does not hurt to use a polarizing filter too to bump the contrast and eliminate any reflections in windows.

The top one still has a little perspective distortion, both easily fixed. I tweaked them, I hope you don't mind.

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[Allan]

Like them, especially the b/w one.

 

[Mike Buckley]

Wonderful patterns! I prefer the less saturated look with less contrast because the combination is such a natural fit with the very soft shadows. (I'm using a calibrated monitor.) What are your thoughts about the decision to leave the peeling paint in the monochrome image as opposed to "fixing" it during post-processing?

 

[warth man]

I captured these photographs of a condominium complex in New Buffalo, Michigan earlier this week:

1
View attachment 1683321

2
View attachment 1683322

3
View attachment 1683323

Thanks for looking...
Glenn

I like these a lot Glenn but, as a "not very tidy" country dweller, I often wonder what it is like to live in places like this. They are so neat and tidy that I think I would have to dust the balcony rails every morning. Any clues?

 

[Mike Buckley]

as a "not very tidy" country dweller, I often wonder what it is like to live in places like this.

At this distance, everything seems relatively tidy. However, once you get a closer look at the variety of window coverings and all sorts of paraphernalia on the balconies and then add some automobiles to the parking lot and along the curb where they aren't supposed to be, things will look considerably less tidy.

 

[gnagel]

like the b&w photo a lot.

Thank you, Rick

I like the B&W one best, of course I think most things look better in B&W, regardless of what Paul Simon says!

The color ones are perhaps a little on the flat side contrast and saturation-wise. It looked like it must have been a partly cloudy day, which is to be expected. When I shoot architectural photos I put a 3 axis spirt level in the hot shoe, use my geared tripod head and my 28mm f/3.5 PC (Perspective Control) Nikkor and the D850. It works like a champ. It does not hurt to use a polarizing filter too to bump the contrast and eliminate any reflections in windows.

The top one still has a little perspective distortion, both easily fixed. I tweaked them, I hope you don't mind.
View attachment 1683328

View attachment 1683329

Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. I didn't see the distortion in the images...and I leveled the camera on the tripod and checked the vertical lines using the Perspective Crop tool in Photoshop. I did use a polarizing filter for these.

I appreciate that you included adjusted images as I think that helps with the discussion (especially when I request critique).

Thanks again,
Glenn

 

[gnagel]

Like them, especially the b/w one.

Thank you, Allan

Wonderful patterns! I prefer the less saturated look with less contrast because the combination is such a natural fit with the very soft shadows. (I'm using a calibrated monitor.) What are your thoughts about the decision to leave the peeling paint in the monochrome image as opposed to "fixing" it during post-processing?

Thanks Mike...I think I agree with you about the less saturated look for these. Although, I can see this landing somewhere in between the ones I posted and the ones that NikonAIS presented.

I think the image is stronger when the peeling paint is removed.

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Thanks for the suggestion!

Glenn

 

[gnagel]

I like these a lot Glenn but, as a "not very tidy" country dweller, I often wonder what it is like to live in places like this. They are so neat and tidy that I think I would have to dust the balcony rails every morning. Any clues?

Thanks Ron...one thing that makes it a little easier for the residents of the condo is that everything from the dry wall out is maintained by the condo association. So while they might have to dust the balcony, that's about it! Not nearly as much maintenance as a country dweller.

At this distance, everything seems relatively tidy. However, once you get a closer look at the variety of window coverings and all sorts of paraphernalia on the balconies and then add some automobiles to the parking lot and along the curb where they aren't supposed to be, things will look considerably less tidy.

It was amazing that no cars were in the parking lot. Well, there was one (which kind of dictated this composition).

Glenn

 

[Mike Buckley]

I agree that the monochrome image looks better with the peeling paint fixed. The process you used is a LOT easier than carrying around a scraper, sandpaper, a paint brush and a bucket of paint.

 

[gchappel]

I will be the odd man out- which is not unusual. I liked the peeling paint. I would have "moved" it to the 3rd or 4th panel back.
A repeating pattern is strong.
A repeating pattern with a focal break- can be even stronger.
Of coarse we just finished an entire bottle of wine with dinner- unusual for my wife and I- so the wine may be speaking as well.
gary

 

[Mike Buckley]

I liked the peeling paint. I would have "moved" it to the 3rd or 4th panel back.
A repeating pattern is strong.
A repeating pattern with a focal break- can be even stronger.

I agree that the peeling paint could be attractive if it is in the ideal position. Excellent point!

Any time a pattern is broken, that in itself can make a wonderful photo. But the break in the pattern has to be in the ideal position to take full advantage of the opportunity. Displaying it in that ideal position can happen during post-processing or by positioning the camera prior to the time of capture. Either method works for me.

 

[gchappel]

By the way, if you are going to correct the peeling paint, I would correct the entire cracked paint line down the same panel- all part of the same process.
gary

 

[gnagel]

Some good discussion regarding the B&W image...thanks to Mike and Gary. I agree about the positive impact to the composition of breaking a repeating pattern. For me, the relatively small area of peeling paint doesn't attract enough attention to serve that purpose. Rather, I would have preferred that one of the panels be a different color (or a different shade of gray in the B&W version). I may have to experiment with that in Photoshop!

Glenn

 

[Mike Buckley]

the relatively small area of peeling paint doesn't attract enough attention

You're probably right about that. Great observation!

 

[acnomad]

The B&W image (with or without the peeling paint) is strongest IMO. Both color images suffer from a very flat appearance, even after the impressive postprocessing treatment by @NikonAIS. I only offer this observation because I have seen how well you normally capture depth in your images.

 

[Mike Buckley]

Both color images suffer from a very flat appearance

So true. My thinking is that when the light is as flat as in scenes like this, the photo is going to appear either flat or surrealistic, depending on how it's post-processed. If the plan is to post-process the image realistically as was done by Glenn, the photographer has only two choices -- capture the image or not. For me, even though the second color image will never be one of Glenn's best images, the patterns make it worth taking the time to capture and post-process it. Not so for the first color image. That's because it's bad enough that we always have to contend with using a two-dimensional medium (a photo) to display a three-dimensional scene, whereas in the first color image the light made the physical scene appear two-dimensional from the get go. That's simply too much to overcome; better to wait for the light to change, even if it takes months, or to find better light elsewhere such as in the monochrome scene.

 

[gnagel]

The B&W image (with or without the peeling paint) is strongest IMO. Both color images suffer from a very flat appearance, even after the impressive postprocessing treatment by @NikonAIS. I only offer this observation because I have seen how well you normally capture depth in your images.

So true. My thinking is that when the light is as flat as in scenes like this, the photo is going to appear either flat or surrealistic, depending on how it's post-processed. If the plan is to post-process the image realistically as was done by Glenn, the photographer has only two choices -- capture the image or not. For me, even though the second color image will never be one of Glenn's best images, the patterns make it worth taking the time to capture and post-process it. Not so for the first color image. That's because it's bad enough that we always have to contend with using a two-dimensional medium (a photo) to display a three-dimensional scene, whereas in the first color image the light made the physical scene appear two-dimensional from the get go. That's simply too much to overcome; better to wait for the light to change, even if it takes months, or to find better light elsewhere such as in the monochrome scene.

I appreciate the honest feedback. I think the lesson here is that you "can't put perfume on a pig." When the lighting doesn't cooperate it's best to wait until it does.

Glenn

 

[Mike Buckley]

When the lighting doesn't cooperate

My favorite quote from Light: Science & Magic about that is that "light behaves like light, and no amount of our piety or wit can ever make it do otherwise."