Stairway to... III

Zach Siebert from Bologna, Italy

you should have waited till she was under the light, thus highlighting her journey up the stairs. motion effect could be good, but certainly not necessary.

13 Dec 2006 10:55am

Jason Kravitz from Brussels, Belgium

congrats on two months of photoblogging! Time doth fly by.

I agree that stairs make for good photo subjects. My only criticism on this image is it is a bit dark (except for the bright light) and it has a slight reddish cast (which happens in a lot of night photography) over the image.

I like that the person is not right in the center although she may have been better under the light. I almost didn't see her. Either way I think she works where she is and could be enhanced by brightening the image up a bit.

A recommendation for fixing would be (assuming you have photoshop)
1) use levels to tone down the red color cast. You can edit individual color channels in the levels tool. Try moving the center triangle (under the big histogram) to see how it changes the image colors.
2) Use an overlay dodge and burn layer to bring out more detail in the dark areas and on the person. This one is harder to explain this link gives a better description. The reason I recommend this is so you can selectively brighten areas instead of using curves or levels on the whole image which will blow out the bright light and center wall.

here's to many more months of photos and am3 :)

13 Dec 2006 12:24pm

Colour blind from Tokyo, Japan

It's very difficult to see the person walking on the stairs. If you didn't tell me he/she was there I would have never known. Maybe if you waited a little longer and gotten the person in the light or higher up on the staircase then it would give more scope to the picture.

You've managed to capture the mood really well, the deep reds and the one person give a very lonely feel. However for my eyes I'd like to see a little more exposure on the staircase and less on the light.

If you're wondering about taking photos with more exposure or longer shutter speed my best advice is, 'give it a go' It's rare to get it in one go I think and trying only helps you improve.

Keep it up I think, stay optomistic and see what happens!! I look forward to seeing more and more of your photos.

13 Dec 2006 1:24pm

Angry Buddha from United States

Yeah, should have waited until they were inder the light. Still a good shot regardless.

13 Dec 2006 2:35pm

badala from Leiria, Portugal

It`s scary. Nice one.

13 Dec 2006 2:37pm

Daniel from United States

I like this okay. Took me a minute to see the person; very subtle. I think the odd color cast and the darkness of image make it interesting.

13 Dec 2006 2:58pm

Duncan Galbraith from kyoto, Japan

Its a cracking location for one. To be honest I didnt notice the person for a few seconds. Under the light would have no doubt been the better choice but hey, what a location. It looks absolutely great for shooting. As for the red tone throughout this, I reckon it works very well. Personally I'd keep it as is.

13 Dec 2006 3:31pm

Darren from Japan

Really beautiful photo. Like the redish colour and the light adds a nice feeling to the image. Great work

13 Dec 2006 5:33pm

Widhi from Rome, Italy

Great composition.. i think it would be better also if the person is in the center under the light.

13 Dec 2006 8:41pm

Manuela Photography from Hainburg (near Frankfurt/Main), Germany

Great take and location. Personally I like it the way it is. It is quite mysterious by not having the person under perfect light. Still, would be curious to see it in b&w...

13 Dec 2006 9:05pm

Mammoth In Chief from Naperville, United States

Wow, this one's precious... Great photography!

"Stairway to Heaven", (pshh, heaven! I'm trying to memorize that on guitar for the past 2 weeks, more like 'inferno') I presume?

13 Dec 2006 9:52pm

Michael Zhang from New York City, United States

I agree you've greatly improved since your first few shots. Stairs are a great subject, and I think you're really doing well at night under tough lighting. As for the shot, I like how the figure is entering the frame (and not leaving). Too long an exposure will completely blur the figure, so I think your choice came out well!

14 Dec 2006 12:44am

Lia from Atlanta, United States

Not that I am an expert or anything (god, I 've been photoblogging for much lesser time than you have!) but I would have waited till the person was under the light because I didn't even notice him. On a different note, this picture would also be great with no people in it. As it is, it looks as if it came out of a video game! I really like it.

14 Dec 2006 12:59am

Damon Schreiber from Toronto, Canada

It is an attractively composed image. I'm not certain if the person makes much impact one way or another, but I agree that waiting till she was under the light might have worked. As to the colour cast, it's hard to know without having seen the scene in person, but I'd guess that they're rather neutral coloured. And so the colour balance may be off. If you really are colourblind, why not try working in black and white? I think this image would be excellent as a contrasty black and white. Also, it's a good way to refine your technique, by concentrating only on light and forms and ignoring colour.

14 Dec 2006 4:20am

sharpeye from Mumbai, India

I think starways itself looks quite interesting, and I too could not notice the person, before I read your lines. Some light effect from top on the individual could have given a different effect to the photo. But anyways it looks good.

14 Dec 2006 4:52am