Long Beach Harbor - or - this is why you get IS. - UPDATED

[Radtech1]

Friends wedding at long beach. This was the view off the balcony at the reception. Hand held at 1/15th. So, crop the right or leave it as is?

http://home.ripway.com/2004-2/78486/Canon/LBHD.jpg

[Scottes]

Yes, crop the right I'd say.

This looks very cool. I love the colors in the water.

[Meerkat17]

Nice image Rad,
Id also say crop but only up to the two dots of red light as I like the way the other lights at the same level graduate the coloured lights out to dark.

Cheers
David

[LightHunter]

Nice balcony view! I agree with Meerkat.

[Liang]

Nice view!

[nighthawk]

Id also say crop but only up to the two dots of red light as I like the way the other lights at the same level graduate the coloured lights out to dark.


I agree totally, In fact, when I first looked at it, I was looking at close to that same point. Perhaps just cut that last tall building. If you crop too much you will loose some interesting depth and perspective, but as it is it's a little "heavy" on the right side. At first I thought cropping some of the top would also be good to turn it a little "panoramic" but you'd sacrifice some of the depth in the sky.

[rick barclay]

Besides the cropping, I'm having trouble with the rainbow colors of the
bridge: they look too poorly defined IMO. I assume that's what your
reference to IS meant. Go back with a tripod and try again. Everything else looks great.

[Radtech1]

Besides the cropping, I'm having trouble with the rainbow colors of the
bridge: they look too poorly defined IMO. I assume that's what your
reference to IS meant. Go back with a tripod and try again. Everything else looks great.


Rick,

Thanks for taking the time to comment. I appreciate everyone's input.

The rainbow colors of the bridge are poorly defined because they are not the colors of the bridge. The bridge is your standard grey concrete. Those colors are the result of colored flood lights placed under the cantilevered walkway on the bridge. That is why the colors are poorly defined - the colored light of one bleeds into the colored light of the next. Below is a full scale crop of the image. (I reduce all of my posted imaged to 25% of the original size to help speed downloads.)

http://home.ripway.com/2004-2/78486/Canon/LBCrop.jpg

Also, for critique, is a tighter zoom of the same area. EXIF data indicates f4.5 - 1/8th sec - 800iso - 70mm focal length. It was also shot 9 minutes earlier, so there is a bit more light. I am not sure if I like this image better than a wider shot, but, being hand held, it does clearly show the advantages of a Stabilized lens.

http://home.ripway.com/2004-2/78486/Canon/LBHD2.jpg

Rad

[Meerkat17]

I much prefer the first image as the second one is too "in your face" which doesn't give the viewers eye much room to move - whereas with the original submission the lights on the bridge lead the eye to the building and also the graduation of the reflections echoed the sky leading the eye across the image to the tall building.

David

[rick barclay]

I like your bottom photo. It's just too bad you had to get in closer for
the added definition of the lighting. I think a clearly defined (or at least
a more clearly defined) line of colors in you top shot would have made a
spectacular sight, what with the reflection of the water , and all.

It's easier for me to view your top pic, now that you've explained the lights, but that first uninitiated look threw me for a loop.