Get Rid of Lamp post?

[jimmy986]

I have this picture I just took with my a7R II. I just wanted t some help with it. I kind of feel like the lamp post in the middle takes away from the other parts. Obviously, it's not something I can move. I was thinking I could remove it in post but I am not great at extensive editing. Most of my skills are basic editing. I tend not to want to add or remove things from my images. I was thinking I could also raise my perspective a little so I am looking down a bit more. The lamp post might get a little lower in the frame and not compete as much. I would have to see how much higher I can go. I doubt a can get much higher, maybe a couple feet at most simply based on the geography and my tripod height. Also, from this perspective is the bench just extraneous and gets in the way?

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[LiveShots]

I think you’re right about the perspective. The low angle is causing the distortion on the buildings to the left and right. I think you could get a better shot from the path in front of the bench.

To my eye the bench is the problem, taking the photo from the path will cut out that bench, I think you could ignore the building on the right completely as I don’t think it’s adding much to the image.

I would check positions from both the left and right of the bench at various angles of the two buildings, with focus on the them and maybe let the lamp post blur a little bit.

[jimmy986]

10 hours ago, LiveShots said:

I think you’re right about the perspective. The low angle is causing the distortion on the buildings to the left and right. I think you could get a better shot from the path in front of the bench.

To my eye the bench is the problem, taking the photo from the path will cut out that bench, I think you could ignore the building on the right completely as I don’t think it’s adding much to the image.

I would check positions from both the left and right of the bench at various angles of the two buildings, with focus on the them and maybe let the lamp post blur a little bit.

I think you're right about the bench and the building on the right. If I get in front of the bench, possibly shooting from on the bench, I can maybe get the lamp post to night be competing as much the main building and I can get the right side of the that building out from behind the tree. If I with a larger aperture I can probably let the buildings get peak focus and the lanp post to blur as you suggested. Sometimes landscape/cityscape type imagery doesn't need the large DOF we sometimes go to automatically.

[LiveShots]

20 minutes ago, jimmy986 said:

Sometimes landscape/cityscape type imagery doesn't need the large DOF we sometimes go to automatically.

That is so true... 

[Chrissie]

@jimmy986: can you provide GoogleMaps or GoogleEarth coordinates of this location, for a view from above?

[Guest Jaf-Photo]

It really depends on what you're trying to achieve. Is is a mood shot, a stock photo, an architectural study or a front page for a prospectus?

If you're not sure how to shoot it, just walk around and try as many different views as you can.

To me, the main issue is that the central building is diminished by all the other features. The central building should be the natural focal point. If you make it a background feature, there should be a clear reason for it, such as something happening in the foreground. 

Edited July 16, 2018 by Jaf-Photo

[sixzeiss]

I would shoot the middle building, probably straight on, with a Loxia 21mm wide open, or stoped down to f4. Possibly having the left and right building at the edge of the frame. Then, if it works, crop the image to a 2:1 panorama or similar.

Then, try to show the relationship between the left and centre building, perhaps taken from the right side where I see a path heading towards both from the low bushes in front of the right building - that might create an interesting image and perspective, especially if the sky is similar to what you have. Centre building as the subject (2/3 of frame width), left building as compliment (1/3 of frame width), two paths offering leading lines/perspective in the foreground.

The various light posts might become more interesting at dusk, in which case I would stop down to f8 and try to get some "stars" around the courtyard.