Just a quick "snap" to be honest, on the way home from photographing striking firefighters. Wanted to finish the film. I am going back to this place shortly, so if anyone has advice, that will be of great interest. I do know this isn't the best film for this kind of thing and will be shooting velvia next time I expect. The title of the image - The building is the headquarters of Thames Water, the water is The Thames river.
You mean you can drink that water? This is a good start for architectural/travel type image. If you could return, not in the dead of night, but around sunrise/sunset you might produce a more satisfying shot. With a deep blue sky the buildings' profiles would still be sillhouetted. Then you would have the night effect, legible buildings and illuminated windows.
Russell, Steve Thank you both very much for taking the time to comment and make suggestions. I will try some of these things when I go again. I particularly see, now it is pointed out, that the image is very half and half across the center line, and will vary that aspect when I next shoot. Interestingly, when I was doing this one, I must have knocked the cable release just as I was walking up to place the tripod - I have a rather mental Zoom-burst style shot which I have no recollection of taking! I plan to attempt to recreate this also. Many thanks again, and I'll post more versions when I've taken some! Chris
Chris, I was born along the river Thames, but we pronounce it with the TH, and rhyming with James. (Groton, Connecticut). I think I'd try several things on a reshoot. The reflected light is the main interest, is it not? Try shooting the reflection with only part of the buildings. See if you can get both higher and lower in perspective to further accentuate the reflections. And lastly, when you figure you have the shot, try throwing a rock into the water during an exposure and experiment. Who knows, it might make some really strange concentric circles of light!
Maybe I am not the one to give advice but I recently read an article (yeah firemen can read too), I think you slower films will work better on a shot like this. also you might try to set your aperture to f8 and set your shutter speed for that. I believe the formula for this type of night shots is 600/focal length=maxium exposure time. So a 28mm focal length would be 21 second exposure. (600/28=21.4sec) Later my friend
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