The new Vancouver Convention Center

[mcopan]

I was downtown trying to line up a shot I had in mind at the Olympic Village but there was a movie shoot in progress so I got politely asked to leave. I went to the Convention Center that I helped build for the Olympics.

I am not familiar with long exposures or what quality of shot I would get out of my newly purchase D90.

Please let me know how I could improve for future shots. Please and thank you.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5199991663_ae4fdce52d_z.jpg

[Matt K.]

For one thing: take the advertising out. It is too freaking obnoxious when you look at the image. I don't mind a watermark, but make it subtle. Generally you have done a nice job with this image: It is sharp, properly saturated and it is nicely composed. I like the way the the roof covers the mountain ... nice touch, for sure. The breaks in the color in the building add drama, so all in all the only thing missing is the full moon over top (just kidding). Nice work, I like it.

[Mad Aussie]

Thumbs up from me. Not much, if anything to critique. I do wonder what could have been included in a landscape orientation?

[mcopan]

I think that I may go back and try and get another angle. Thanks for the thoughts.

[Iguanasan]

I don't know if it's the actual angle or design of the building but I find it a bit disconcerting that it seems like it's falling forward. I do love the background interest you've included with the city lights and mountain in the background.

[Marko]

I think this is well done overall and I dig the colour. If I had to nitpick (as i like to do when asked) I'd say be aware of brighter elements in the shot as they tend to steal your eye. Bottom left has a bright corner that could be burned in.

I like the repeating escalators, and in general, viewers like patterns and repetition, just wanted to mention that.

[mcopan]

Iguanasan - The top of the building is slanted outwards.
Marko - Thanks for the good criticisms. I think that is a light post in the way.

[Marko]

No prob mcopan, I was not referring to the lightpost though. I was referring to the window at the bottom left (just near the actual edge on the '2nd' floor)

[mcopan]

Very good eye Mr Marko. I have some volunteer work to do tonite and hopefully will get to rome around the convention center to see how I can avoid this and possible improve this shot.

[mcopan]

Here is the second try on this concept. I tried the horizontal aspect and I moved to include more of the actual convention center. How can I improve on this one. Do you prefer vertical or horizontal? Please and thank you.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5127/5211199722_a94a8fc587_z.jpg

[Mad Aussie]

I like both ... but the portrait version edges this new one out for me due to the 'magic hour' sky you captured. The blues contrast the golden orange so well.

[mcopan]

I totally agree. There has been some unsettled weather in Vancouver recently with -5degs Celcius (32F?) and last night when I shot this it was 5degs C above. I do wish to have the better bluer sky. I wonder if the sky darkens more towards midnight? I might go down for one last shot to get the gold and blue contrast. Thanks

[asnow]

I agree with MA that blue sky in the vertical one is much nicer. Also the vertical wins because of the mountains and a better view of the city lights in the background.

[Iguanasan]

If you could some how combine them. The light on the first and the background was much more interesting. The second, however, makes me feel much better because I see that the lean is part of the structure and not a crooked capture.

[mcopan]

When I shot the first one, the vertical one the west coast was in a cold snap. There was no clouds or anything blocking the clouds. Maybe if I' patient I could get another beautiful night soon.

[Marko]

It's a tough shot to compose perfectly - I still favour shot 1.
I like shot 2 but the bottom right looks like it's chopped just a bit too much (though I see why you cropped it there) and shot 1 just has more 'drama' due to the better light.

Just looking at this scene I can see all the potential difficulties in framing it perfectly...
Well done overall!

[mcopan]

Round Two - I finally got a gap in the weather where I could get the moutains in the background and a good color out of the sky. I shot this with ISO 1000 F14 and barely bumped the saturation up a bit to pull some more blue out in CS5.

I am learning and would like to know why I got the star flares on the lights. I really think they are interested and would like to try this trick again.
I general please let me know what you think. I think this is a good split between the beautiful British Columbia mountains and the new Convention Center.
When I uploaded this to Flickr it seemed to make it a little blurry. On my screen this is tack sharp.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5045/5225386192_6caa602d51_z.jpg

[Mad Aussie]

That's the one for me!!!

[asnow]

I think I still like the first one. To me the vertical seems to add more drama.

As for the star flares ... this is a complete guess. It would seem to me the more closed your aperture the more it is prone to flares. I don't know this as a fact, it is just my crazy logic trying to figure it out. If anybody knows please correct me if I am way off base.

[Mad Aussie]

As for the star flares ... this is a complete guess. It would seem to me the more closed your aperture the more it is prone to flares. I don't know this as a fact, it is just my crazy logic trying to figure it out. If anybody knows please correct me if I am way off base.
That's right ... as the aperture closes up, the leafs of the aperture mechanism look less like a circle and more like a star, increasing the likelihood of star shaped len flares.

[mcopan]

good to know. thanks mad aussie.