Critique Architecture (part) with a 300mm Lens ?

[Compuwight]

My local Camera Club monthly challenge is to use a 300mm lens to get images of parts of buildings - seemed a bit random but I will have a go at anything.
Just wondering what the hive mind think of my entries ?
Nikon D610 + Nikon 300mm PF HH f16 1/500th

 

[stevejack]

Hi Steve,
I know this is an old post now but as no-one else has answered I'll try to provide some pointers.
Architecture with a 300mm lens is a good challenge, it allows you to zero in on isolated details in the architecture and it helps to simplify your composition and eliminate distracting elements.
These are all good attempts and it's clear what you want the viewer to focus on, but whenever you're using a zoom lens you need to be aware of the finer details in your composition - the lines / angles / perspective all need to work together to support your subject.

Your first image could benefit from shifting much further to the right, I can see you're framing the spire within the arch, but it's not quite coming together in the frame. My guess is you couldn't get to a location which would allow you to shoot square-on to the arch? If you could, this would create a nice symmetry in your image. As it stands here, the composition is weighted too heavily to the left.

Your second image is a bit the same, if you could have moved to your left more you would have been able to square up those lines evenly on both sides to create symmetry and balance within the frame. You don't always need to do this, but if you're shooting on an angle you still need to make sure that the lines in the frame are working towards a compositional goal - cutting off the left side of the sign feels unintentional, but perhaps not?

Your last image of the gargoyle is a tricky one. The tones in your monochrome image are blending together and it's concealing your subject. In one sense you've got some good leading lines pointing to the subject, but in this image it's not working. I'm not sure what you could do here to improve on the shot - re-positioning yourself so that the head of the gargoyle is framed onto a lighter background within its own space may work, or perhaps it worked better in colour if the head was a different colour to the background?

I think you've got the right ideas, you're pulling out interesting subjects and making attempts to frame them within your image - a few tweaks to your positioning when taking the shot should bring it all together.

 

[Compuwight]

Thanks for your comprehensive critique, my normal subjects are wildlife so this was indeed a new challenge and I left it far to late. With benefit of hindsight I should have done more planning and a recce beforehand to look at lighting levels and angles. I simply decided to accept the challenge on the last day, picked up my camera with 300mm prime lens and went for a walk !

I was very frustrating that it was late afternoon and as you suggest I could not get the angles I wanted :-

Image 1 was taken across a high street so I could not get high enough or the angle I wanted, to the left was a 'horrid' upvc window

Image 2 was the same, so many chimney stacks and new garish adverting boards forced me into the only real position to isolate this old enamel sign

Image 3 was taken as the available light was fading and again I had to cross a busy main road and stand on some ones garden wall to get the image

I am told this challenge will be on next years list, so next time I will plan better and take more time, perhaps using a longer zoom lens to get the framing.

Thanks again for taking your time