Scarborough Gardens

Matt Charlton

Matt Charlton

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We visited Scarborough last week whilst holidaying on the east coast and I saw this shot whilst stood at the bottom of Foreshore road looking up towards town, just by the tram. I'm not sure if this place has a name but there are paths/steps that wind up and around some scenic gardens and they make a nice walk.

I thought the shot might benefit from some HDR treatment (I've only ever produced one HDR shot before and it's one of my favorites) so I set up the AEB and fired off three shots.

The framing is as it was out of the camera, I've run it through Photomatix using the B&W settings and done some levels/curves and a slight sharpen in Photoshop.

I'm aware of a couple of halos but I think overall its one of the first shots I've been happy with for a while.

Quite open to comments and critiques, fire away. What would you have done differently? Does it suit HDR and B&W?

scarb1.jpg
 
Like this alot, good work! Who would believe that was taken inbetween a huge arcade and home of Roy Chubby Brown and the Chuckle Brothers, 'The Futurist'?
 
Thanks Paul :)

Heheh, the arcade on the left isn't too shabby but yeah the Futurist really does need a facelift, it's looking very tired indeed.

Do you know what this specific garden area is called? Does it have a name?.
 
Hi Matt

I do like that - I think B&W HDR can work really well. I found the blown oout sky (top left) a little distracting - not sure if you can tone that down a little in PS to take your eye away from it?)

Also might be worth having a go at levelling the photo relative to the first few steps - looks a little odd but not sure whether a straighten will enahnce or not?

Thanks
Adrian
 
Hi Matt

just had a play myself in PS8 and only problem with straightening the steps is that the fence in the mid-ground will go off level and you also lose some of the steps that are key in leading you into the picture!
 
Hope you don't mind Matt, but it has a feel of a haunted house about it, so wondered what it would look like if it was a bit moodier :nuts:

Attempted to straighten the steps with liquify

Off to Whitby tomorrow so that might be influencing my mood - great composition by the way, think it's a cracker of a shot

:D

scarb1.jpg
 
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Hi Matt,

Long time - no see. Nice shot..... has tendency to look a bit infra-red but with a difference.

Baz
 
I'm not a huge fan of HDR, although I think the B&W HDR works well for this shot. You haven't over done it, which helps ;)

I really do like the composition, the way the stairs lead the eye up to the mansion (y)
 
Buck said:
Hi Matt

just had a play myself in PS8 and only problem with straightening the steps is that the fence in the mid-ground will go off level and you also lose some of the steps that are key in leading you into the picture!
Click to expand...

Yeah I think you're right with regards to the steps, going to have a play in photoshop shortly anyway with regards to sorting out that patch in the sky.

MnM said:
Hope you don't mind Matt, but it has a feel of a haunted house about it, so wondered what it would look like if it was a bit moodier :nuts:

Attempted to straighten the steps with liquify

Off to Whitby tomorrow so that might be influencing my mood - great composition by the way, think it's a cracker of a shot

:D
Click to expand...

I see what you were going for there but I think its just a tad too dark - you're right though it would suit that effect quite well.

I love Whitby - my other HDR effort was Whitby Abbey:

20070430174042_abbeyhdr1.jpg


I know the green is a little garish but I still love it ;-)

lolism said:
I like this, HDR works rather well!
Click to expand...

Thanks Steve :)

chuckles said:
Hi Matt,

Long time - no see. Nice shot..... has tendency to look a bit infra-red but with a difference.

Baz
Click to expand...

Cheers Baz, lovely to speak to you again old chap - its been too long. In fact I seem to remember the last time we saw each other was either York or that lovely tea room near Bolton Abbey :D

MMmmmm Scones.

Grendel said:
I'm not a huge fan of HDR, although I think the B&W HDR works well for this shot. You haven't over done it, which helps ;)

I really do like the composition, the way the stairs lead the eye up to the mansion (y)
Click to expand...

Thank you Paul, I know HDR divides a lot of people and if its overcooked it can look terrible - it didn't look right in colour but I thought it suited B&W. Composition was luck, you know me, more luck than management.

Thanks for all of the comments guys, really do appreciate you taking the time.
 
Nice one Matt, another dead kitten :LOL:

Seriously, it looks good not too overcooked.
 
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