Berlin - Potsdamer Platz

Outstanding shot. Great tonality. I prefer your duotone to the alternatives Marc suggested. Yours gives this surreal image an almost futuristic sense that is not present in the straight B&W. Composition, wonderful as it is, has been covered by many of the previous posts. If a diagonal line makes for an interesting compositional element, then the curves of your building all spiraling and pointing inward make an even more striking statement. The only nitpick are the bright shapes at the bottom, I would clone them out or darken them.

"(As a side-note, Iýd be interested if Carsten could let us know, whether he ever found any

trace of a description of this method anywhere on the web - I never did -; and whether he

knows people using this method besides himý)

 

Marc, excellent post! While I surely do not speak for Carsten, take a look here (http://

www.adobe.com/digitalimag/ps_pro_primers.html) for JP Capnigro's conversion technique.

You've nailed the essence of it. The only twist is that his approach also utilizes the

Lightness Channel from LAB colorspace. I think there are also a number of PS plugins that

will set up channels as layers for tailored conversion work.

http://www.adobe.com/digitalimag/ps_pro_primers.html

Hello Carsten,

 

Is this real? I mean the REAL image how you have seen it? No photoshop manipulation like adding a building and all that kind?? If so, I compliment you on an EXCELLENT shot. I admit to prefer the colour version. Berlin has so many new buildings now since it became the main capital, that it must be a photographer's paradise. Well, at least to those inspired by the theme. Once again a compliment to you. Happy shooting from Petra

I like this a lot . . . it's a perfect use of fisheye distortion. I wonder if there's any chance of seeing the four horizontal shots that you took to create this shot. It almost looks like it could have been captured in one exposure at the wide end of the zoom, but maybe my comment makes it obvious that I don't own one. Tokina just came out with a DX version which I'm now considering more seriously. Thanks for the inspiration.

Since I am not a photographer, just an educated viewer, I am not burdened with all the

tecnicalities of how this picture was created. I feel somewhat liberated with that. This is an

image that has been heavily manipulated, as the comparison to the original color version

shows. But is it better? For me , Carsten shot a static everyday scene and relied on

distortion, extreme contrast and unflinching sharpness to bring forth the transformation

needed to make what was actually confronting him more dynamic and alive. In this I

believe he has succeeded. We are presented with a topsy turvy maelstrom where

architecture becomes an amusement park, complete with ferris wheel, and scarylooking

buildings doubling as rollercoasters. We are traped within a whirlwind of movement that

has a fixed eye from which all goes round. I feel that the tilt and lack of stabilizing

verticals works with the flow of the image. I suppose Carsten could have manipulated the

color version with equal power. Perhaps a color version on steroids would bring something

more to this concept. All in all I am attracted by the image as one would be attracted to

the scary rides while being hustled on the midway. This ride was fun, but theres no need

to do it again. Try a color version, just for fun. Hips

Kudos to Carsten for seeing this opportunity and elves for digging deeper than TRP. I've addressed the crop previously and there seems to be a slight lean as Mona mentioned but its just nits. Outstanding job Carsten.

Patricia,

 

Thanks for the link, but for some reason, it doesn't seem to work, and that's quite frustrating, since I'd gladly read this... :-)

 

Tom,

 

"I prefer your duotone to the alternatives Marc suggested." The "alternative" - no "S". There's only one alternative - the last in the row. The second pix is a standard conversion by PS. The others are simply the channels found in the color file attached by Carsten.

 

I should have explained that I erased all color toning for all the pix I posted - which may have caused some confusion, sorry for that.

I've made it through the re-iterations of "Wow. fantastic. Good Job." and I agree that it is a nice piece of work. I agree with most that the Photoshop work really enhances the presentation. I think it's as close a photograph can come to emulate the drawings of M.C.Escher. Which is something difficult to do!!

 

However, Marc G. touched on something of interest when suggesting the crop at the bottom. It greatly enhances the image IMO.

http://www.adobe.com/digitalimag/ps_pro_primers.html

Sorry for the late response to your comments, thank you all for comments and discussion.

Christopher, I posted a short description of tech details with the shot , but this is not visible here in the POW discussion: duotoned B&W of a pano, from handheld landscape formats stitched vertically (@10 mm, that is 16 mm in film terms. If you just start with digital processing, this should be explained more detailed. My EF-S 10-22 mm zoom lens on the 300D is equivalent to 16 mm at the wide end in film terms, about 100 deg field of view. But I am nuts about wide and wider, so my goal was a field of view of more than 100 deg, impossible to get with my 300D (this focal length is the wides rectilinear lens available). You can stitch landscape format shots vertically with special software, I use Panotools with a graphical user interface, PTGui. Normally, you should use a tripod, but with a bit practice you get decent results from handheld shots. Important is a debarrelized shot, and the EF-S is fortunately very good, almost free of barrel distortion. Also important is manual exposure for equal tones in the single shots, or correction afterwards in RAW format derived shots. The vertical panorama was converted to B&W from the Red, Blue, Green, and LAB lightness channel, with PS and layer technique for masking unwanted tones, kind of patchwork, with some manipulations of the channels like soft light and multiply blending to enhance contrast. Patricia has posted a link with a good description. The duotone or duplex technique is described elswhere, there are some PS tutorials in the net.

Chris, your remark on two focal points is interesting. I have the impression of a convergence of curves somewhere in the sky above the roof in a single point.... Anyway, I was really happy about the distortion after stitching (I will load the raw shots, later. Not at my base station at the moment).

John, you ask whether I had a plan in mind. No, this was a short visit to Berlin. You must know, I come from a smal, thousand people town into this Metropolis, the first time at this (new) place and was impressed, least to say. Daughter and wife patiently waiting in a cafe, I made a few dozen shots, all for later stitching to get the feeling of this place in one image. Our eyes are wide-angles optically, with unsharp periphery but the wide visual field has an effect on our perception in such sceneries.

MOna Chrome, the tilt does not bother me so much, with lot of distortion and curves it is not essential to rotate, IMO. But thanks for your observation !

Paulo and Subhasish, there are POWs without PS enough, but, admittedly, more with PS manipulation than without. I admire those photographers who can live without PS today ! PS can save a bad shot, can improve an average shot, and can make the best from a good original. No problem for me if I dont see the manipulation at the first glance.

Chris, thanks for the link to the other shot, nice to see a variation of this motif.

Marc G, what an excellent comment - you hit the nail with your idea. The bottom does not contribute so much, could be darker but with the umbrella as counterpart for the roof. Perfect ! And BTW you guessed right, see my tech decription above (thanks to Patricia for the link, I was not aware of this description, collected my tech here and there in the net, a lot from PN members like Pat and Chris. You ask why not shooting vertical and wide, easy: I am nuts about wide and wider, as said above. Have no fisheye, my rectangular wide zoom would give me a FOV of 100 deg vertically maximal. With vertical stitch of four landscape shots, almost fisheye FOV vertically and 100 deg horizontally. The fisheye distortion came from the stitching process.

Jean Pierre the crop for a square is too much for my taste, I would go for the suggested version from Marc (and later Tom).

Anders, you are a prophete ;-) Or an elve ? I will post the color version here later, not at my own PS now...

Patricia, thanks for the link ! I have learned a lot from you, there are few people with such skills in B&W technique !

Petra, no buildings added, but heavy PS. See the alternative versions from Marc

Carl, no fisheye. The scenery was impossible to get into one frame even with 10 mm and crop factor 1,6. If my chief financial officer agrees I will buy one...

good use of fisheye ... interesting capture ... I am a novice and hence not sparing any more words ... learnt a lot from the discussions ... cheers Carsten ... greetings from Kolkata, India ...

PS, here the color version for comparison

an impressive way to summarize an architecturally very dense site. the building in the gap (DB headquarters?) makes the shot for me compositionally. i like the toning but tend to agree with the suggestion to darken the lower strip (some not very relevant objects there distract me as a viewer). all in all a strong entry as a POW. congratulations!

Carsten, Could you push the color version like the black and white. More contrast, saturation, definition. Get the blue sky to the same values of the black and white sky. Hips

I thought I would have a little fun and give CR what he might be looking for, and at the same

time just show, via the color version, what a slight rotation might do for the image. I still feel

that the tilt adversely affects the photo and maybe this will help demonstrate how it might be

improved.

 

Disclaimer: if you don't like the color blame CR

Mona, Do it like you mean it. The black and white is pushed to an energetic state. Also try to keep the color connection of the umbrella and the red dot on the distant building. Try to contrast the warm and cool as though drug induced. Eliminate the midrange and go for the extremes in the color. Think acid trip.

I guess we're on slightly different trips, I pushed everything, but I wont go where I wouldn't

go!

Sorry, I thought there was more potential with color if it was really pushed. I guess its not like mixing paints. Oh well, thanks for the try.

Well Done, Carsten! It's very well seen and excellent follow through. I like both the B&W and color, the tones and shades are excellent however, WOW, the dance of lines and the whirl of the buildings all around the image, it's FULL of action...heck, the sky seems like it is the most stable thing in the mix. It's captivating and so very interesting to gaze into which is what some photographs are simply meant to be. Most of all, I am pleased that you have the very deserved honor of POW. Cheers to You!!

Thanks for your very complete reply, Carsten. It helped me realize, among other things, how much I have to learn about the modern way to use very wide angles and stitching methods in architecture photography. This passion for ultra-wide angles to represent a site is a passion I do not share, but I have to admit, such angles really give a great sense of the entire site, and are very spectacular.

 

I forgot to add that my favorite is still BW over color for this particular image. Simply because colors pull me away from what's imo essential here: the great graphics that are all over the frame and somehow "surround" the sky. Congrats again, and best wishes for your future 10mm lens purchase. :-)

Now that Carsten has introduced the colour version maybe it is relevant to go back to my only critical comment to this marvelous photo. I know it is difficult to appreciate the full scene on a computer screen, and I might be wrong, but it is my feeling that in the BW version the white tall building in the lower centre of the scene is competing for attention with the centre of the compositions lines and spaces, the centre of the dome. In the colour version this competition of attention is not present. I therefore prefer the present colour version of the two. One answer to this might be to darken the light grey of the building.

 

Anders

First of all congratulations Carsten on your well deserved POW. Most all of what I really like here has already been covered so I won't waste space. I would only add that having the "umbrella arm" exit the top center of the image was a spectacular choice setting the tone for the rest of the image. So any resulting tilt is no problem for me, rather it is a masterful composition choice.

 

Generally speaking I like straight shots that are very busy, but I like composites to be simple, seamless. But this really isn't a composite, at least not in any traditional sense. This is something new. If I understand Carsten correctly, software handled all the stitching. I personally find that fascinating. Last night Nova did a program on a hundred mile race through the Mohave Desert in which all vehicles were manned by computers and software had to handle decision making on the fly.Some of the vehicles performed spectacularly. A few did wonder off into the desert.

 

Anyway, I should probably mention a couple architectural anomalies I find distracting, the result of the stitching. One is the right side of the white building which has one more floor on the top than the left side does. I think a floor could simply be added to the left or the top floor removed from the right to correct this.

 

But all in all it is a really excellent image.

Anders, this is a good point. Now that you mention it, I think that a bit darker tone there would not hurt. All together I like the B&W more, however.

Dave, see the 100% crop of the top of the building from a single shot before stitching, you see that it is not from stitching, obviously the architect of the DB building (you guessed right, Naftali) was a bit eccentric.

Let me add my name to the long list of people who are blown away by this image! It has such a futuristic look. I love it. The second I saw it, it captured my attention!