C&C request on Sunni Mosque

So this is the product of a self-conscious effort to apply eveything I've been reading and learning about here and elsewhere. I violated the rule of thirds with the horizon, but think I needed to do so in order to avoid perspective distortion. What can I do to improve this?

EXIF: f16 @ 1/15. RAW. PP in CS4: WB, Levels, Curves, Sharpening. That's it.

Thanks for taking a look. Any advice you might offer would definately be appreciated, as I can do a reshoot and apply lessons learned.

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It's a daylight photo with plenty of sky, so I think you might want to brighten things up a bit. Looking at the histogram, everything is scrunched over to the left.

I think you've done a very good job with this. It does need a small clockwise rotation though... use the top of the lowest raised level supporting the mosque as your guide and you'll find the left is a few pixels lower than the right. Having anything brighter at the edge can be an issue... I'd just clone over the grey building at right... put some extra branches there, burn it in a bit, paint it etc.. Bit of a shame the sky was relatively uninteresting, and perhaps the building would look more interesting from closer in, but it has a pleasing harmony about it and delicate side lighting that's attractive. Cheers, Tony

I lightened the foreground and looking at it, I see a rather nice reflection of the mosque, but it's partially blocked. Seems like the mosque is the real point of interest. Perhaps moving to the left toward the steps and eliminating them from the picture, you would have gotten mainly the mosque and it's reflection in the water.

Thanks, all. Here is a re-edit of the OP, rotated and brightened. I'm thinking this may be all I can do short of having another go at it. Hawkeye, you're right about the reflection, and I did try and get the whole of it from where you suggested and by moving to the right. Suffice it to say, I had to settle for this composition; both Mother Nature and the contrivances of men were against me

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Had a bit of a play. I do like it.
_

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This photo is one that you can go wild with using colors.lol.Andy Warhol look out!

I tried a crop eliminating the white on the far side, it showed to me as the brightest part of the photo, especially on the water? 5X7 worked fabulously.

Flo wrote in post #7838347
This photo is one that you can go wild with using colors.lol.Andy Warhol look out!

I tried a crop eliminating the white on the far side, it showed to me as the brightest part of the photo, especially on the water? 5X7 worked fabulously.

Yeah I'm still a colour fiend

LeuceDeuce wrote in post #7838413
Yeah I'm still a colour fiend

It's a little more..."vivid" than I recall the scene But it definately grabbs the attention more than the original! Thanks, LD, and glad you liked it.

Flo wrote in post #7838347
I tried a crop eliminating the white on the far side, it showed to me as the brightest part of the photo, especially on the water? 5X7 worked fabulously.

Thanks for the tip, Flo. I'll give it a try. I did a little cloning to darken the door itself, should have done the reflection in the water as well

Thanks, Grimm. Good call on sensor dust spot. The dust here is brutal and lens changes always a sketchy affair. Perhaps it's my monitor, but your edit seems to have a blue cast to it. Thanks for the effort, though.

Is this the mosque off of the lake around Al-Faw palace? Looks familiar...just got here myself, and am looking forward to playing with some of the buildings...just need to wait for the dust to clear!