Dallas at Night

[Darryl]

This was my first night shoot with the D30. I plan to go back and do more, perhaps with a model in the foreground. I think that will add to it.

I have also learned from this that I need to keep the "film plane" (although I guess it should be called a "sensor plane" perpindicular to the ground to avoid the impression that the buildings are leaning.

Comments welcome.
http://www.txis.com/~darryl/photos/Portfolio/Other/Img1277copy.jpg

[gerry]

All you need is a full moon rising over the city.

Seriously. beautiful shot. Clear and technically flawless.

[Leighow]

DARRYL

This is a grreat photograph. Why don’t you rotate it a bit CCW? I would like to try to learn how to give more formal feedback. To do so, I will use the framework that I posted under talk Photography.

Here goes. Remember, I am trying to be helpful !


BASIC TECHNIQUE:
The focus an depth of field are superb. Exposure however, while it may be optimal, has resulted in several over-exposed park lights (especially the one at the far right.

SPECIAL TECHNIQUES
None as far as I can see.

COMPOSITION:The image is not exceptionally well balanced. The center of interest is the tallest green-lined tower and it draws support from the immediately adjacent buildings. The line of buildings runs-off downwards as the eyes travel across the picture.

The WFAA tower introduces a nice red, but camera position places it alongside the green tower. Low level elevation lights while adding color and nighttime mood, on balance take away from the otherwise more fragile and random pattern of lighted office windows.

Like many city nightscapes there are many competing elements. (It might have been nice if a camera angle were available that could put the white-topped building at the photo's high point.)

LIGHTING: The lighting is really quite terrific. The green-lined building introduces a vector graphics look, adding a modern silicon graphics Sega Game look that I suspect is not common to city nightscapes. This highlights that point of interest. Lens reflections associated with low-elevation park lamps while adding to the nighttime mood, are a bit distracting.

SUBJECT INTEREST: This photo spotlights the ability of digital cameras to exploit city nightscapes. Green, blue and orange tones add warmth to what is otherwise a concrete jungle. Building patterns in the middle ground differentiate themselves from the background via interesting vertical and 3-dimensional lines and qualities. The blacked out foreground provides a stable platform for the nightscape.

ORIGINALITY: Darryl seems to have found a good vantage point for this photo.

STORY MOOD: The photo paints Dallas as a beautiful nightime city. But in this shot, it appears to be a lonely city of lighted buildings as cars and people are nowhere to be seen.


HOWIE