Salt Lake Mormon Temple: Took a trip to see the temple with Christmas lights. Shot this with the 'nifty fifty', and an exposure time of 3 seconds. Looking for ideas on how to make this...

geclevel Loc: Springville, Utah

Took a trip to see the temple with Christmas lights. Shot this with the 'nifty fifty', and an exposure time of 3 seconds. Looking for ideas on how to make this photo better.

(Download)

Nightski

Excellent work, Geclevel. When I look at this I think it must have been a light nightmare and you have handled it so well. The IQ and clarity are top shelf as well. It's a gorgeous shot ... just wish I had been there with a chain saw to get rid of that branch for you ... LOL

geclevel Loc: Springville, Utah

Nightski wrote:

Excellent work, Geclevel. When I look at this I think it must have been a light nightmare and you have handled it so well. The IQ and clarity are top shelf as well. It's a gorgeous shot ... just wish I had been there with a chain saw to get rid of that branch for you ... LOL

Thank you Nightski. I appreciate the comments. Here is one from a different angle, without branches.

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

I like the first one with the branch on the one side and lamp on the other side gives a nice frame to the picture. 2nd one seems ho hum to me. - Dave

jonsommer Loc: Usually, somewhere on the U.S. west coast.

This is such a magnificent building with an amazing and meaningful history for millions of Later Day Saints around the world - I have been on Temple Square at Christmas time and seen and enjoyed the lights on display, and really enjoy being there. That being said, I find the trees being lit from underneath and the red and blue lights in this photograph a little distracting, I would probably like the photo more if you cropped out as much of the vegetation as possible.

wisner Loc: The planet Twylo

geclevel wrote:

Took a trip to see the temple with Christmas lights. Shot this with the 'nifty fifty', and an exposure time of 3 seconds. Looking for ideas on how to make this photo better.

Really nice job! If you look at a lot of this type of photography, you will notice they are shot at twilight when there is some light in the sky. This prevents the negative space (the sky) from lacking any detail. Just a suggestion. Otherwise a nice image.

Nightski

Sorry Gerald .. one pic per thread in the Photo Critique Section. I still like the first one better. The perspective on this one is perfect .. IHMO. It's framed so nicely by the decorated trees ... if it weren't for that one tree ... Isn't that so frustrating!

geclevel Loc: Springville, Utah

jonsommer wrote:

This is such a magnificent building with an amazing and meaningful history for millions of Later Day Saints around the world - I have been on Temple Square at Christmas time and seen and enjoyed the lights on display, and really enjoy being there. That being said, I find the trees being lit from underneath and the red and blue lights in this photograph a little distracting, I would probably like the photo more if you cropped out as much of the vegetation as possible.

Thank you for the comments jonsommer. I appreciate your thoughts on this photo. I decided to leave the vegetation so show the Christmas atmosphere. I know it distracts from the temple slightly.

geclevel Loc: Springville, Utah

wisner wrote:

Really nice job! If you look at a lot of this type of photography, you will notice they are shot at twilight when there is some light in the sky. This prevents the negative space (the sky) from lacking any detail. Just a suggestion. Otherwise a nice image.

Thank you wisner. I really appreciate your comments. There were two buildings in the background sky which took away from the purpose of the shot. I removed these so the focus would be on the Temple and not the lit up bank building behind it. The city is so busy with buildings it was hard to find a shot without something distracting in the background.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

I would take the distraction removal a step further by removing the small street light above and to the right of the large street light on the left.

I would also remove the branch - including the lights - that are against the sky where that main branch cuts across the view of the group of spires on the right. Removal of the whole branch would be nice, but removing the extending part is an effective way to reduce the distractions. And ditto for the branch that leads up to the highest pinnacle on the right. Then I'd look to reduce the Christmas tree lights as much as possible in the immediate vicinity of the spires.

geclevel Loc: Springville, Utah

R.G. wrote:

I would take the distraction removal a step furthe... (show quote)

Thank you R.G. for the comments. I really like getting others input on how to make my photographs better.

Toby

geclevel wrote:

Took a trip to see the temple with Christmas lights. Shot this with the 'nifty fifty', and an exposure time of 3 seconds. Looking for ideas on how to make this photo better.

I like it as is but you might try to lighten the shadows in LR or PS, if info available in file, just to see what that looked like. Either way it looks very good.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

geclevel wrote:

Took a trip to see the temple with Christmas lights. Shot this with the 'nifty fifty', and an exposure time of 3 seconds. Looking for ideas on how to make this photo better.

I would try applying a Color Range Mask on the black sky in order to blend in some lightness to suit your taste. Must ge carefull with adding blue because the temple stone work has a rich blue gray hue and we want no color vibration with the sky. As for removing colored lights and vegatation one needs to pay attention to the message to be conveyed: is it to show the temple in its beauty; is it portray the season of which both the lights and the temple work together. There is one little light in the upper left sky that could go. The left side white light could be de-saturated so the eye would be less likely to be drawn there. The lighting of the foliage in the left center area would look staged without that left side bright light, so use care in the toning down.

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

geclevel wrote:

Took a trip to see the temple with Christmas lights. Shot this with the 'nifty fifty', and an exposure time of 3 seconds. Looking for ideas on how to make this photo better.

Hi, Gerald,
I like it much!
Composition, IMO, would be greatly improved by cropping out the close, bright light at the left side.
That's all!
Otherwise, a great image!

Dave in SD

geclevel Loc: Springville, Utah

John_F wrote:

I would try applying a Color Range Mask on the bla... (show quote)

Thank you John_F. I appreciate your comments. Now I need to get Photoshop and practice some editing.