Critique Blue hour photography around Andalusia

[SFTPhotography]

Only really scratched the surface of this wonderful part of Spain on my trip down earlier in March.

Alhambra lit at night with the snow capped Sierra Nevada in the distance

_DSC7599 by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

Plaza de Espagna in Seville - not the ideal angle but blame hipsters and scaffolding

_DSC2163 by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

Puente Neuvo in Ronda

_DSC7677 by Stephen Taylor, on Flickr

 

[Ricardodaforce]

Stunning stuff Steve. Love the shot of the Plaza de España especially.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

No 1 is great but I can't stop thinking the right side is cut off rather abruptly (i.e. there should be more of the palace). A panorama could have worked well here or alternatively a crop between the tree and the large building on the right.

No 2 is very nice. I would personally opt for a cooler white balance but angle and composition are spot on.

Last one looks a lot better in daylight https://www.flickr.com/photos/stephentaylor4/26163488292/in/dateposted/ I'm not very keen on the way they lit the buildings leaving the rocks in total darkness.

 

[ancient_mariner]

Nice shooting Steve - I like all 3, and we were there last September so I've seen them in the stone.

Critique IMO:
1) It would have been nice to pull back and reveal just a little more of the foreground.
2) Good use of your trademark reflections.
3) Might have tried cropping tighter on this one, to discard the hotel on top of the LH hill, and the bridge looks like it's screaming!

We were there last September, and I wish I'd managed to get some night shots like you did, but it wasn't a photographc expedition.

 

[SFTPhotography]

Aye it is a bit cut off. I suspect re 1 going in longer cutting off more and just going for the main building may work or going shorter or pano stitch. When shooting it I was trying to include some elements of what was below without cutting them off. The shot to take is around 70mm just focussing on the left hand side of the palace and mountain. One for when I'm inevitably back. The problem with going shorter is the foreground includes bits of wire and chinneys. You want longer here when I consider it over

Re 2 could cool it down but suspect the blue in the sky might get too luminous. The lightings sodium based and the buildings are red. It's a tough one. I want to retake it anyway for various reasons you can't see at this res due to hipster ghosts and non perfect reflections.

Funny @longlens you mention the third. That ones already sold but none of the others have. Stock libraries love blue hour stuff so guess that's why I took it but like you prefer the one you mention.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

Aye it is a bit cut off. I suspect re 1 going in longer cutting off more and just going for the main building may work or going shorter or pano stitch. When shooting it I was trying to include some elements of what was below without cutting them off. The shot to take is around 70mm just focussing on the left hand side of the palace and mountain. One for when I'm inevitably back. The problem with going shorter is the foreground includes bits of wire and chinneys. You want longer here when I consider it over

Re 2 could cool it down but suspect the blue in the sky might get too luminous. The lightings sodium based and the buildings are red. It's a tough one. I want to retake it anyway for various reasons you can't see at this res due to hipster ghosts and non perfect reflections.

Funny @longlens you mention the third. That ones already sold but none of the others have. Stock libraries love blue hour stuff so guess that's why I took it but like you prefer the one you mention.

you can surely cool down 2 a bit until the sky goes funny. If you are worried you could stick 2 warm "grads" on top and bottom.

It's nice to hear 3rd one has sold; that certainly vindicates the shot. Personally the natural light is more suited for the rocks but I can see why they'd want the blue hour.

 

[Craig_85]

Love the third, it is a very strong image. I know it is easy to criticise composition when you weren't there to actually see what was not included in the frame but I agree the balance of 1 does not feel quite right, lovely tones in it though.