Camera Labs

Hi folks,

Here's a scene I'm continually drawn to but somehow never quite manage to carry off but last Saturday's effort was better than most. Having seen it on the big screen I'm really disappointed that I didn't spot the way the barn roof and the mountain behind merge when I took the shot.

Galava Barn - clickable for a full size version

Shot with my back to Galava Fort at the top of Lake Windermere in the UK.
Canon G10, ISO 80, 1/1250th, f/3.2, 37mm equiv FoV.

Bob.

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OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

Its near Ambleside i think as i have seen this barn before - i used to live in the Lakes, Beautiful area..

For me its a nice photo with some interesting features, particularly the trees but i think the composition can be improved. Did you take any other shots all around the location to see which one worked for you best in terms of composition and angle etc ?? Or is this a pet project to try and make the view work.

You could allways try lowering your position and changing the aspect of the view or off setting the trees a little to get more of a sense of depth to the scene.

The mountains are also a focul point for me and i know the colours that you can get on them can stand out really bold - particularly the ambers and reds of evening.

If it were me - and im not a trained photogrpaher !! - this is purely just me - i would try and move the more modern buildings out of shot, try a B&W shot or get some really nice evening glows on the hills, off set the trees and the building and hope for a dramatic cloud sky

Its a great area for photos and i can see why you are repeatedly drawn to it. I drive my missus potty with things like this as i end up taking about 150 shots from 30 differnet positions and views around the same subject until i click on something that really works ..then i end up asking to go back to the same location and spend another hour waiting for the right light or a cloud to move ...amazingly im still married

This would be a great location in winter as well with a bit of snow around...

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Canon 550D, Canon EFS 17-85 IS USM, Canon EF 75-300 IS USM, Canon EFS 10-22mm USM, Canon EF35mm F2.

Got some of the gear but really still no idea...

For me, it's a tranquil country shot with rich natural colours of nature, I didn't notice the new building until reading Robbons comment. It's a matter of working with what you have at the time, lighting access to the shot etc. I guess you can get 100 different views on every photo.


Cheers

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Nikon D7000, D40X, Nikkor 18- 200 VR II, f3.5-5.6, 70-300 AF non VR, Kit Lenses.

I agree with the comments made so far. I would move to the right and recompose. Try to achieve the golden ratio between the two trees and the barn. I'm not sure if getting higher or lower would be better, but you can try both. Also, I'm not sure which direction you're looking, but waiting 'til evening or morning would get some really nice light and add a lot of character to this photo.

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Trevor Harris

Nikon D200
SB-600
YN-560 II
YN RF 603 x 4
Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8
Nikon 50mm f/1.8

Hi folks,

Thanks for the useful feedback - I agree with it all. It's about compromises, I think, as a lower viewpoint risks losing the hills in the distance. A little to the right would certainly have been better for positioning the barn against the hills. Unfortunately if I move left or right a lot to try and hide the modern buildings there's no way to retain the symmetry I like with the barn at the dead centre framed equally by the two trees. Maybe this is yet another case of the Mark I eyeball looking selectively at a scene and picking out the good bits while the camera ruthlessly highlights all the compositional difficulties and as a result the killer shot just isn't there however kind the lighting and the clouds - the shot faces north and was taken in the early morning. Oh well, back to the drawing board...

Bob.

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OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

Hey Bob...keep going back there...the scenery and light changes every day.....thats why this hobby is so damn addictive..

I think the stonework on the barn is a real feature and there is loads of potential with this subject and location.

nice shot but i reckon there are at least 20 other really good ones there to be had as well !

my thought regarding lowering your position was along the lines that if you cant get the mountains behind to work in the shot, then look to take them out by making the focus on the trees and their height and symmetry or on the barn and the sky above..the blue is really nice and stark so by emphasising just two features instead of three the photo might pop a little more.

what i like about digital photography is that you can just keep snapping...

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Canon 550D, Canon EFS 17-85 IS USM, Canon EF 75-300 IS USM, Canon EFS 10-22mm USM, Canon EF35mm F2.

Got some of the gear but really still no idea...

How far can you back up? I was thinking maybe try to frame the trees and barn similarly, but from differnet distances to alter the background size. See what happens.

Looks pretty nice, actually. I am drawn more to the trees than anything else, though, and that may or may not be a good thing depending on your goals for this.