I’ve got a question for you. Do you know how your photographs work? Not your cameras, you know how to focus and expose and use enough of the other buttons that you can mostly make it do what you want, but do you know how your images work?
A still image is a lot of moving parts (metaphorically speaking). Sure you need to focus on your subject, but how much focus do you want? I mean, do you want just the subject or do you want the background as well, and how much? And how will either choice affect how the photograph feels? I have the same question about shutter speed. Any scene can be properly exposed more than a dozen ways but which combination gives you the shutter speed that feels right and does what you want it to do?
A photograph isn’t taken. It’s made. Constructed, even. And the photographer that has done the work to think about this will be a stronger photographer.
It’s all about layers and the combinations of those layers are almost infinite. Where do you put the camera? What lens do you use? What about exposure choices—not just shutter speed and aperture but the brightness and darkness? And do you choose one moment over another?
And then there are the choices you make in development. Do you make the picture brighter or darker? What do you do with contrast? How do you use the colours? Is it “all saturation all the time” or is there a more subtle approach? Even the choice to make a black and white photograph doesn’t make it easier: what do you do with contrast and tonal relationships and the many ways of being very specific about that? And how do you make the eye move around the frame the way you want it to?
The best way to make stronger photographs is to make more of them. But that’s only half the story. Writers are told the best way to become a better writer is to write more, but they are also told to read more, to figure out how good stories are told, why one word feels better than another, how to pace a poem or, I don’t know, rhyme a couplet or something.
Yes, shoot more. But also, study photographs. Pull them apart. Look at the picture below. Take a moment with it, then strip it down. What choices did I make and why? Why did I include what I did? Would it have worked if the frame was more cluttered or contained fewer elements? Would it be remotely the same if I put the camera in a different place? What focal length do you think I used? Would it feel the same with a different choice? Does the aperture choice make any difference? Does the shutter speed matter? What about the choice of moment? How does that choice affect composition?
Now look at the RAW image below the finished image (above). What choices do you think I made to refine the image and make it what you see in the final photograph? Here’s a hint: look for the differences. Would it have felt the same if I hadn’t made those choices with brightness, contrast, saturation, colour, or dodging and burning to lead the eye? (Would you rather see this larger on my blog? Click here)
I don’t get prescriptive very often. These conversations always need nuance, but I’m going to make an exception: once you know how your camera works, you must learn how photographs work.
You should be able to look at an image and be able to say why it looks the way it does and (here’s the key) what choices the photographer made to make it look that way. It’s a non-negotiable. But here’s the payoff: if you know how to do that kind of thinking with the photographs of others, you will know how to do that kind of thinking with the camera to your eye. You will have trained your “if I do this, the picture will look like this” muscles. You will become a little more fluent in the language we speak as photographers
More than that: you will grow more intuitive. Your choice of aperture will be less about whether it’s the correct aperture and more about the aperture that makes the photograph look and feel the way you want it to. Same with shutter speed and your point of view of choice of lens. And the same with the work you do in the darkroom.
Play Along, Win a Prize?
I want to try something with you, if you’ll play along and give this a try. Look at the pictures above and tell me what choices I made to make the final image look the way it does. Any guesses about the focal length, shutter speed, or aperture? Why do you think so? Where did I put the camera and did that affect the look of the image? Does my choice of moment matter? You can see the RAW image, so maybe take a guess at that as well: what did I do with brightness, contrast, colour choices, or selective adjustments? It’s all guess work, but it will get your brain working.
Play along by leaving your answer on my blog here and I’ll choose one comment at random and put a prize on the line. And next week I’m going to walk you through this image with a video (and announce both the prize and the winner)
Whether you play or not, you must find a way to exercise these muscles, or practice the language, whichever metaphor works best for you. Anyone can learn the basics of how a camera works, but learning how an image works will take you much, much further in your craft.
For the Love of the Photograph,
David
Comments
Maybe I am already too late, but will comment anyway for the fun of it and I assume it might make a difference between just thinking about it and writing ( to be unbiased I skipped previous comments) ….
I guess you wanted to show a person stepping from onside to the other side of a bridge with a beautiful delicate handrail and a nice arch.
You wanted the person to be shown in movement so a longer shutter speed was taken (around 1/10), which also helped to unsharpen the head as you were not interested in the person itself. The only thing of the person being sharp is the right leg, which emphasis the step and the weight which is put into the step. Adding the person helps also to get a sense of the dimensions of the bridge and make it more interesting (human) and dynamic.
The few stairs in front of the person lead to the person, also the shape of the stairs kind of circle around the person. (Reason to include them).
Additional framing happens via the red areas next to the person (red is drawing the eye) and had been additional emphasized, by increasing saturation and contrast of red areas. A nice side effect is that also the structure of the handrail gets clearly enlarged, which was part of the overall intention. (On my monitor the red looks already a bit unnaturally oversaturated).
So, the eye finds the person, follows the bridge, which had been given more clarity, sharpness and brightness as it is part of the main story.
The help to follow the way across the bridge is the brighter light on the other side, which had also been increased in editing. Explains also the shadow of the person.
To keep the eye within the frame the contrast of the bridge shadow on the wall to the right had been increased, avoiding the eye leaving the right side of the picture.
The boot at the bottom was included to balance the picture as there might have been too much of black in the lower right corner. Also, it helps to trigger some imagination e.g. the person could have arrived with the boat. The triangular shape of the boat also leads to the person and gives a bit of contrast to the main bow shape of the bridge.
The color contrast red and blue (both got also more saturated) on the bridge gives a bit of more depth to the scene leading to the other side.
To get all this in frame a wider-angle lens maybe 16mm was taken and an aperture of maybe 16 to get the boat and bridge in focus.
The camera position was chosen the clearly separate the two handrails across the bride and having the shorter handrail leading more to the person as extension to the boat “arrow”. The 45 degrees view to the bridge also adds more depth to the picture.
Overall, a warmer color temperature was given to the picture which supports the idea that the light on the other side of the bridge is lightening up the scene. The background as mad a bit darker too avail too many distractions.
David, thanks for this exercise! Will propose something similar in my photo club…
This is a great exercise, thank you for setting it.
In terms of composition
– I think you’ve included the stairs, bridge and exit on the other side to tell the story of a man (feels like he’s going home to me). You’ve positioned the man on the left so he is moving into the space, (the slower shutter speed shows this movement intentionally). by doing it on this side it complements the overall lighting of the scene to be non threatening, not tense.
– The man is positioned so he doesn’t blend into the railings of the bridge and not too close to the edge of the frame so there was space around him (again not introducing tension)
– The eye is led up the stairs on the left to the man, then over the bridge, then drawn to look further into the image with the patch of pink further up the canal.
Canal darkened so that the building reflections weren’t distracting
Colour & lighting
-The combination of increased saturated blue, yellow and pink gives the image a bright and uplifting mood and the increased contrast supports this
The man is in dark, unremarkable clothing – the story is about where he is going not who he is
You’ve increased the dynamic range i think to give more contrast, bring out the shadows on the bridge and of him to add depth and darkened the door on the left hand side so it doesn’t stand out and isn’t distracting
The highlights might well also have been increased so that the steps become more distinct
Not sure that the boat on this side adds anything but would have felt too big of an empty space if not included and probably adds a bit of complexity so its not too simple
Camera location where it is so eye moved up the railing onto the bridge, and bridge at an angle so movement is from bottom left to top right
Wide angle lens to fit more into the frame, and a reasonably slow shutter speed so that there is motion blur in the man, may 1/30 or 1/15
used shutter speed so that there is less detail in the buildings further along the canal (maybe f5.6 or so )but that they are still recognisable to give a feeling of space and to show that this is set in Venice, or somewhere that feels like Venice with narrow canals and bridges connecting the sides of the canals
Hi David,
Always love your thought-provoking posts – thank you!
Composition: camera level about eye level, on a tripod. I’d say around 24mm lens, 1/10th sec or thereabouts, f/11. High ISO. You used the ‘rule of thirds’ to place the banister of the steps on one third, along with the man on a cross-point of the ‘grid’, and the verticals of the walls behind to frame the subject. Used the leading line of the boat bow, and its echo in the curve of the bridge, to direct the viewer’s eye. The negative space of the water balances and highlights the complex patterns of the bridge railings, bold colours etc in the rest of the image. Bold contrasting colours (blue vs red/yellow) add drama. Slow shutter speed adds a feeling of movement and the question of ‘why’, which creates a story.
Processing: global warming, added contrast/clarity, raised highlights (particularly in edges of steps to emphasise lines) and lowered blacks. Saturated colours pretty much all over, but added luminance/warmth to oranges/yellows to lead the eye from the boat, up the stairs, across to the building on the right and then to the back of the canal in a kind of zig-zag.
Hello, this is a fun challenge – especially since I just finished your latest course (: I believe you used a slower shutter speed 1/30th while panning slightly to add a slight blur to the man, loved the left foot off the step as well, focal length 35mm. In post, it appears to me that you increased saturation globally as well as contrast, added more light to the window with the art nouveau design to the left of the man and also to the wall at the end of the bridge, aperture of f/8 to gain DOF in most of the image. I believe you chose to guide the viewer’s eye to the bridge by the prow of the boat, and probably were captivated by the curve of the bridge juxtaposed by the vertical lines of the windows at far end of the image and the criss crosses on the bridge’s railing repeated by their shadows on the steps. The red/blue are straight out of your last course in the lesson on colors.
Beautiful image and thank you for giving us the opportunity to “understand” an image more completely and enjoyably.
Hi David – Love a guessing game!
Shutter speed about 1/10 sec to get the movement in the fellow’s legs
35 mm at f 18 – your depth of field is great
you increased the colour brightness – reds blues and yellows
shadows in front of the boat are decreased so the front of the bridge is more prominent than the underside of the bridge
you have increased contrast so the railing is more prominent
How is that for a start??
Cheers,
Ruth Campling
(I haven’t read the other comments to avoid bias).
I think you used a 35mm or maybe a 28mm wide-angle (full-frame).
The shutter speed was on the slow side as seen in the blur of the man’s back foot. Maybe 1/10th of a second?
The walls and stairs have a warmer temperature applied.
The far wall after the bridge has been made brighter and more saturated.
The red and blue on bridge are more saturated and brighter. Same effect applied to red & blue in the distance.
The red light showing pattern of the bridge iron work on wall beyond the man is more saturated.
Contrast has been increased for pretty much the whole image.
The shadows exposure has been darkened.
Good morning…
You used a moderate wide angle lens with a relatively small aperture to get the depth of field but carefully kept the verticals vertical. Shutter speed was on the slower side, maybe 1/30 or 1/15 to get the figure slightly motion blurred. You have close to Zone 0 in the deepest shadow and some Zone 9 along the bridge curb, so pretty much full dynamic range in the capture.
Post has an increase in contrast and saturation and some selective masking and exposure adjustments for the pass-through light on the wall behind the figure and the two illuminated doorways. There’s some sharpening or micro-contrast adjustments as well.
The story I take away is of a man trudging up the steps to reach the crest of the bridge. This is an analog of life’s steps to reach a goal, which is something common to all and something that we do multiple times during the course of life. Or, it could be just a general analog of life where we work and live to reach an apex where we’ve pretty much done what we are going to do and then begin the decline into winter.
In any event, I really like the photograph just on the surface. The image pleases me simply for what it is, a good bit of art. The story is a bonus.
Thanks for sharing!
You carefully chose the moment of exposure to catch the figure placing a foot on the next step up.
Hi David,
What a great challenge!
Here are my observations and thoughts:
Focal length: 30 mm (capturing the entire bridge within the frame)
Shutter speed: 1/8 s (introducing motion blur to emphasize the man’s movement)
Aperture: f/8 (providing sufficient depth of field to keep the bridge sharp while maintaining minimal background and foreground blur).
The image appears to have been taken from approximately eye level, placing the viewer on the same visual plane as the subject. The man’s upward movement across the bridge creates a strong leading line that naturally guides the viewer’s eye through the composition. The timing of the shot is essential: had the subject moved behind the bridge railing, the visual flow and overall composition would have been significantly less effective.
During post-processing, the highlights and the interplay of light and shadow were selectively enhanced, increasing both their intensity and color saturation. The overall image was given a darker tonal treatment with increased contrast, adding depth and emphasizing the dramatic atmosphere.
I sometimes think that these posts are David doing his best imitation of Tom Sawyer trying to get others to paint the fence. But they are a great exercise, so I am in. And I am trying to avoid reading the comments from others until I post my own so I am not unduly influenced.
In no particular order, I see the following edits:
–the red and blue colors on the bridge have been brightened, saturated and sharpened a bit;
–the red reflection on the wall to the left has also been brightened and slightly saturated;
–the building on the far right across the bridge had been lightened and slightly saturated;
–the fresco across the building has had its contrast and shadows increased;
–the boat has been slightly saturated, warmed and brought down in exposure by less than 1/2 stop;
–the water under the bridge has had its exposure dropped by about 1/2-3/4 stop;
–the stairs behind and in front of the man have been lightened and saturated a bit to give the edges a bit more pop;
–the window and/or building edge in the far background has been lightened to bring out the red color;
–the shutter speed is about 1/30th of a second, give or take a 1/3rd stop;
–the lens is no wider than a 24mm and probably no longer than 28mm in FF equiv.; and,
–the aperture is either f/8, but more likely f/11
It is a beautiful image, and nicely processed. It has been years since I visited Venice, and it makes me want to go back and shoot all night.
Thanks,
–Ken
My thoughts. Tripod used, higher elevation than what I can do at 5 feet 3… Probably at ISO 1600, f/13, 2/3 second, white balance set to 5500K. Post processing would be sharpening (the man is not as blurry, same with the boat), dodging the surface of the boat, bringing up the reds and blues a touch, opening up shadows, increase saturation, likely decrease the exposure 1/3 of a stop, denies a bit.
This is fun! What a good challenge to get those ‘muscles’ working. Lens pretty wide (I’ve been in Venice with a long lens!), fairly slow shutter speed (guy climbing up the steps is a little blurry), aperture f/11 or greater since everything in focus near to far. Great perspective (to get the boat, bridge and colours all in) but not cluttered. In post, increased saturation to make the colours pop, increased contrast to make the railings more defined and maybe added a little clarity, again to define the intricate railing. Can’t really tell on my screen, but maybe darkened some parts but not all. Personally, I’m drawn to the composition. The elements of the bow of the boat and the bridge repeating the pattern, with placement of the guy climbing the steps. This image is so interesting, I ‘see’ what you mean when you break it down. Thank you.
To me it looks like a fairly normal to slightly wide perspective, so maybe 35mm lens was used at perhaps f 8- f11, because there is sharpness in the depth of the background building. The shutter speed is fairly slow at perhaps around 1/20th -1/30th. The shutter was fired as the man was strategically sandwiched between the two red reflections as that is what your eye is first drawn to. He even has some red edge highlights. The lower red swatch has more saturation than the other to further direct the eye to that location. The railing and lighting of the steps and bridge direct the eye through the photograph. Contrast overall and saturation of red and blue colors was enhanced. Some burning may have been done at the top edge to keep the eye from wandering out of the top center part of photograph. This was an interesting and fun excercise David! Thanks for posting.
Hi there! I’m new to your blog, not a professional, and really appreciate the content. I also love this photo.
I think you placed the camera at the edge of the water, on the low side (i’m short, so maybe my full height of 5′). Looks like you shot this at less than 1/100, maybe 1/60 or 1/50. At first I thought your focus point is on the banisters (maybe right above the square in red) but now I think it is his right foot. I think your aperture is F/11 or thereabouts. I think you increased the contrast, increased the highlights, increased the shadows and increased the saturation, and warmed the white balance. I have no guess at all as to focal length.
Thanks so much, I look forward to the video and learning all the ways I got this wrong! 🙂
Oh! What a fun challenge!
Hi David,
Greetings from Indianapolis! Thanks so much for the invitation.
Now, let’s see how green I am. I’m going to say that you shot with a slow shutter speed (SS around 1/30) to show a bit of life/motion in the frame and to provide tension between person (constantly in motion) and buildings (always still), f/5.6 or 6.3 to show the details of the space but also capture enough light for the nighttime scene. There is sharpness in the cement near the bottom left of the frame to the black rails at the right and there may be softness in the building next to the railing at right. Ok, focal length. You chose a wide shot to give a sense of place and make it feel immersive and based on how much of the scene is included, 24mm-35mm. Camera was likely on a tripod to reduce vibration from touching and releasing shutter button or perhaps it was handheld with IS on. You positioned the camera was at the water’s edge and at eye level or just below which makes the scene look like it would if we were simply following the person up the stairs.
As for the post processing, increased vibrance and/or saturation for the whole scene which shows in the cement, the yellow building behind and the red/blue lights. You might have selected all of the red, blue and yellow areas and intentionally increased saturation/vibrance in these area in addition to a small increase in contrast (because of the brighter/whiter highlights under the second panel of black rails and darker water).
My eye goes directly to the railing first (it is brightest, placed center), then the red/blue (unexpected for this scene) and then the man walking (darker, to left). It looks like you wanted the structure to be the main subject.
That was fun!
Thanks for the challenge- interesting assignment. Complete amateur here so here is my guess and rationale….
Camera position- I like the angle. I can see you positioned yourself for some nice leading lines which suits the architecture in the image. The bridge starts along the rule of thirds and leads the viewer to follow the handrail through the photograph to the buildings at the back of the shot. Even the bow of the boat creates another leading line. Waiting until the person is close to leading line of the handrail also adds to the composition.
Camera settings. Guessing here since I don’t how quickly the person is moving, but clearly a slow shutter speed to create the blurred motion. He seems older so 1/125 or even slower? Aperture -details are sharp so f8-11? Depth of field 35-50mm? Dependant on your lens/type of camera
Editing- this is my joy. I can see you have decreased the exposure, increased the contrast. Increased the saturation- all with the plan of helping the viewers eye to flow across the bridge. The building across the bridge is warmer in contrast with cooler tones in the foreground. The reds look more vibrant. Water is darker to allow the eye to flow across the bridge and deck of boat has a bit of burning to give more depth. Brightened the end of the canal to draw the eye through the photo and increase depth of field.
The goal I am thinking, is a dark moody shot with a mystery or story of the main subject crossing – why, where is he going, etc. I am sure it wasn’t intentional but I can’t shake the familiarity of the silhouette…… Which leads to a different story than you may have intended,lol
Fun exercise!
Position – camera was low but not ground level – maybe about 2 foot. Make steps and man look higher.
Slow shutter – 1/10 – 1/20th sec. Created the motion.
Wide lens – about 24mm.
Aperture – f4, good focus but distant wall not sharp.
Slightly underexposed – maybe EV -1.
Increased saturation, clarity, contrast, highlights and warmth of highlights. Selective edits so the canal and under the bridge remain slightly dark.
Thanks!
David,
Thank you for your ongoing thoughts and challenges. In my local camera club I’ve said, “You don’t take a photography, you make a photograph” that some of the shutterbugs who see me on the street just repeat the saying right away.
Here’s what I like about the end product and what I think you did to bring out your vision.
1) Brighten the photo with a slight increase in exposure
2) dodge the entry of the staircase to draw your viewer’s eye through the photo with similar treatment on the other side of the bridge with the entry being a little brighter.
3) I like the way you lightened the building in the background providing the impression the apartments continued along the canal.
4) You also brightened the red light that highlighted the iron work off camera letting the view “see” a bigger part of the scene.
5) Everything was sharpened a little.
I’m not quite sure if you took the photo with a telephoto from another bridge. The elevation of the stairs without a paralax of shooting up says it was either at a similar elevation on another staircase or building or perhaps you corrected the the converging verticals in post.
You shot a a slow shutter speed, maybe 1/15 because the subject is blurred, letting the viewer know he was in motion crossing the bridge, another part of telling a story on a lonely bridge late at night in Old Venice.
It works well in color. I think it would also look good in black and white/monochrome. The same contrast you used to highlight the stairs etc would work. Maybe by eliminating the red and green color it would feel a bit more lonely.
It’s always a pleasure to read you posts.
Love the image!
Im guessing the shutter speed was slow (1/30?) to allow as much light and detail to come out in a nighttime shot but leaving the man a little fuzzy. I think including a person adds some life and perspective to urban landscape pics). And maybe a wide-ish lens (35 mm?). Love how you edited to punch up the colors and detail and sharpen the man.
Hi David!
Love this image! I’m thinking you must have had the camera on a tripod so that with a slow shutter speed you could keep the rest of the image sharp. Looks like you did some work on the beautiful colors on the wall, and warmed the image a bit. You added some light to the bridge and in the hallway at the end of the bridge. You also darkened the water below the bridge because it’s not about the water, but about the man crossing the bridge. Because you took it at a slow shutter speed it emphasizes the fact that he’s hurrying to get across and to his meeting, dinner, hotel room, or next appointment. It seems that you used a wide angle lens – as others suggested maybe a 24mm, and small enough aperture that the whole scene is in focus – from the bumps on the pavement at the foot of the bridge to the distant buildings.
I love this exercise. You inspire me to work a bit more on my images and not just rely on global edits.
I would venture this photograph was shot with a 28mm or maybe 35mm. Positioned at the bottom of the stairs where the “edge” and railing create a leading line to a subject, in this case the man about to cross the bridge. The shutter speed was slowed down just enough to blur the movement of the man. From the raw file, you can see that the colors were made more vibrant as to highlight the “mood” and light up the path the man is taking over the bridge. Same for the colors on the side of the bridge: as if to lead the eye from the “ramp” to the arch of the bridge and therefore the path from one patch of light to the next, at the end of the bridge.
Fun to ponder – I’m thinking wide-ish, maybe around 20mm. 1/40 of a second or so, slow enough to do handheld with steady hand but long enough to get blur on a walking subject for what have been a somewhat spontaneous image. Around f8 for depth of field.
Composition follows a general rule of thirds and the man is walking into the frame/onto the bridge where the highlight and contrast has been boosted, emphasizing the pathway. The color temperature has been warmed and the ambient light on the far end of the bridge dodged and warmed to create a destination for the figure to be headed toward.
OK – fairly wide angle – 28 or 35, f stop perhaps 5.6, or 7.1, shutter speed perhaps 1/60. In post you saturated the colours to emphasize the leading lines, you also darkened the water to almost black to create further contrast. You sharpened or added clarity and texture to the bridge and reduced the exposure overall just a tad.
My thoughts of this are that it was shot with a 24 mm lens at about f22 as everything is sharp front to back, with iso set at about 200, and the shutter speed also set at 200. Then in post you increased the contrast and decreased the shadows to keep the eye on the man crossing the bridge. Then using masking to increase the lighting on the steps and the lights from the boat shining off the bridge, Maybe using clarity to increase the sharpness. I also think that you used a little bit of a lineal gradient to bring down the shadows in the top background to also highlight the man and the lighting on the bridge.
If the frame was more cluttered I don’t think this would have worked, it would have been way too busy and no single subject would have stood out. If it contained fewer elements it also would not have worked, ie: the prow of the boat, if that was missing there would have been too much empty dead space and the bridge would not have been illuminated as it is or the wall behind the man. From my perspective it appears that the camera is placed on the edge of the quey (sp) and the only way to move would have been to the left, then that would have changed the total composition, The aperture and shutter speed choice is right for the picture to convey motion, if it had been frozen there would be no motion. Focal length if you just wanted attention on the man then a shallower focal length would have been used and blurred out the background.
Hi David
Hoping I’m on the right track it was certainly fun.Increased warmth, contrast and saturation.Slowish shutter speed to show movement.fairly narrow aperture as good DoF
The warm light on top RHS and the choosing of the moment where he is almost at the top of the steps indicates he is moving purposefully towards it.Darkening at the bottom to draw the eye into the image and also at the LHS.Also I love it I’m intrigued by the story
I’m a rank amateur and don’t know or care about all of the focal length and settings the others describe above. I can only tell you what I like about the new image.
1. You desaturated the area under the bridge to increase the focus of your main subject; the man on the bridge.
2. You changed the mood of the picture by warming up the overall picture.
3. You increased the saturation of the red on the wall which more stongly tied it to the red on the bridge. I like that.
4. I think that you brightened the color on the wall in the distance to create a sense of destination. It pulled me into where he is going, not coming from.
In 2019, I took a bunch of pictures with my cheap iPhone while in Deruta, Italy. I was inside of the Deruta pottery factory and capture the centuries old art of making pottery.
I recently did some post processing and had them blown up to 11×14 picture for framing. To my amazement, they are stunning. Some of the best pictures I have ever seen.
It was through dumb luck and the grace of God that they came out this well as I know nothing about composition and all of the other technical stuff that comes through years of learning, practice, and experience.
Anyway, I love your photography, but enjoy your writing even more although it is sometimes over my head.
Warmly, Bill
1/15, f 2.8, full frame equivalent 24 mm lens. In Lightroom, increased saturation by about 10, increased vibrance by about 20, increased the contrast some, decreased the whites and shadows, and increased the whites and blacks a bit.
You changed the white balance to warm up the image. Increase saturation slightly. Sharpened the bridge. Opened the shadows on the back ground and increased the shadow to deepen of the shadow of the “shadow of the man” Probably shot around 35MM @ 1/60 5.6
Good morning David! Where to begin… Unless this was a set up photo where you could or did have the person ascend the stairs multiple times then I have to say this is an in the moment work with what you have! Or perhaps people were crossing often and you could wait for the combination of factors you were looking for. yes, slower shutter speed amplify the movement, but smaller aperture to keep lots of depth of field. so now the picky stuff.I don’t like the block (window?) coming out of the persons head. I don’t like the red shadow on the wall behind him (distracting). The angle, your position relative to the scene is too far to the right creating a choke point between the railings so it feels “tight” not “easy”. The lights reflecting off of the bow of the boat is a messy light trap and sucks my eye down and away from what I would think is your primary subject and I’ll stop there because i could go on… So if this were a serendipitous moment you done good but a step to the left and you might open up the tightness and perhaps narrowed the window frame behind his head or eliminated it. As for after capture what window still showed I would have erased. you dropped the tone and I like what it did to the overall density, in particular how it muted the deck of the boat but that also made the red/blue on the bow stand out more and I would have dropped that down significantly. The same with the red ligt shadow on the wall behind and to the left of the subject, again it draws my eye away from the subject and his movement through the image. I like the better color saturation of the ochre across the bridge, it “feels” like nighttime lighting warm and rich but the red and blue although probably a real part of the scene feel contrived probably to their intensity so I would have dialed that back, way back, kept the color just de-emphasized them in that location and even more so with the reflection off the nose of the boat. Now if this were a constructed image… with some pre-planning I would have the individual in a more colorful (red?) coat to tie it to the scene and may it really pull the eye into the individual such that the movement would have seemed more intention and less accidental.
Enough already!
I like it. You wanted motion but I think 1/320 or a little lower, wide open it was dark maybe F2.8 at a common but short focal length 50mm because the light on the building comes through clearly even in what was like a dark and unevely lit scene. Punching it up in post lets the person be part of scene without being the subject.
I’ll look forward to your video. As a wildlife and aviation photographer my choices are thoughtful for the stage and periodically revised as conditions change but individual photographs are snapped often in bunches as the players arrive aircraft or birds.
An interesting image with a great leading line from the lower left to the upper right which was created by the bridge. The brighter light (i.e., on the wall at the end of the bridge) gives a nice end point for your eye to find. I think it was a 24mm lens (35 mm format/full frame). The shutter speed was on the slow-side to captue the blur of his legs which adds movement and flow as the man ascends the stairs of the bridge. The contrast and luminosity was controlled to give contrast to the steps whch created another interesting pattern leading your eye across the bridge. The red/blue lights brightens the mood and are a nice accent especially with the projection of the railing against the wall. Finally, the one item which distracts me and pulls my eye out of the image is the bow of the boat (lower right). I would prefer not to have it there or drastically toned down. I also recognize the fact that it is not your boat so you cannot move it.
I start first with a question to myself. how do i want the image to feel. Once i get past that decision I screw with aperture, exposure comp and shutter speed (always shoot on auto iso unless on a tripod). Since i generally shoot what most would define as street photography I’m normally in a scene and have it adjusted before the subject arrives.
You bumped saturation (a bit more than my taste frankly for the red and blue but OK for the orange as it leads the man out of the frame). What you chose is what I normally do is embracing your shadows and darkening areas that reinforce the subject. Boosting the highlights slightly helps. This usually helps the visual depth.
Hi David,
I think you shot this at 1/20 or 1/30th to blur the man and keep the detail sharp on the architecture. I think you used a f4 or f8 with a wider angle lens to keep some of the detail down the canal. You brought up the highlights on the bridge to bring out the colors from the boat’s lights reflections on the bridge and on the wall of the building on the left along with the light on the stairs and bridge railings. You increased the highlights on the wall of the building behind the bridge to draw the eye to the man’s destination. You decreased the exposure of the water to keep the eye up on the bridge, man and his path. You are moving the eye from red & blue to the bright light at the far end of the bridge. It also looks like you warmed up the highlights.