Berlin - Potsdamer Platz

Carsten, maybe you could post the rest of the shots before the stitching. I think people would find it interesting to see how the software redrew the lines to pull this image together. I think it would also be interesting to compare this with a typical fisheye shot because this is handled completely different. The more I think about it the more significant your image becomes. People typically use Photoshop to emulate the darkroom process or correct issues that couldn't be corrected in camera. But here we have something that couldn't be achieved in camera or created in the darkroom or pulled off in Photoshop. You've combine various tools to create a very unique kind of image. Or at least I don't know anyone else who is doing this kind of thing.

Yes, by all means, please do give us a view of the original shots before stitching. I'm sure we all would love to see them. I keep going back to this page over and over to view the image. Just wonderful. I like the colored one too, but I think the B/W is just overwhelming. I think there has been more interesting comments on this POW than any in recent history. We have all learned a great deal.

I think the aestethic impression is really good cause you have choose a tonal range and composition that actually appeals. It's not about channels or black&white points etc. It's more like how an artist choose to work with a palette and brush or knife.

 

(I think the picture is tilted a slight to the left and some details on the ground is a bit disturbing. But it's not a problem)

 

It sure is a very nice photograph and high class work. Congrats.

Dave and Bill, here are the single shots as requested (already by others). I stitched actually three TIFFs, in 16 bit per channel, with PTGui. As you can see there is more overlap than usually nessessary, but for the wide angle distortion this works better IMO. And, another variation from the rules, not in M mode, but in AE mode, to get better shadow detail in the base shot, and for better highlights the series was with -0.6 EV underexposed (1/125 sec f:6.3, 1/160 sec f:7.1, and 1/200 sec f:8 with ISO 100). The RAW to TIF was done with CaptureOne DRebel ed., a program that allows selective matching of exposure with selections of overlapping regions and matching the histogram there, same thing is possible with white balance.

Even the rectilinear lens shows some curved lines, and this was accentuated by stitching. Sounds complicated, but is done automatically with the actual version of PTgui.

Moderator note: Just as a reminder - Images should be uploaded to show in the forum rather than in link form... Directions are there on the page where you upload them. One thing people forget to do is type in a caption. You must size the image to 511 pixels or less and fill in the Caption field for the image to show up as an image. Thanks

Sorry, didnt know about the caption issue

Very Powerful. Puts you on the spot

I went there, I liked it and took some nice shots too. But what a dramatic effect you obtained! I couldn't imagine it could appear in that way.

HI Carsten,

 

This is such an great shot...The perspective is excellent The composition superb and the exposure is perfect. Well done. Glad this shot was choosen as POW.

It's great when there is an actual "discussion" on a POW instead of either the "wow's" or general negativity without constructive critiscism. To see all the different versions of this shot and to read all the technical details is quite interesting. This is what a POW should be! Congratulations, Carsten! I like the shot as posted and can't add anything to what's already been discussed - just enjoyed reading it all.

Great shot of a veery challenging site! I went there last year and walked around with my camera for an hour and gave up. I think the colour version captures better the post-modern feel of the site.

I too prefer the hard colour versions, much more contemporary with the subject. I wonder if it would be better if the top was lower, only showing half of the dome - the geometry gets overstrained right at the top and I find it both distracting and, at first sight, very confusing.

 

Thanks for letting us in on the technical secrets, though! I really thought it was a single image done with an actual fisheye lens.

It should be pointed out that although this image had some intial interest (mainly for the

technical aspects) It died rather quickly after the ' how was this made " dialog ran its course.

A photo needs more than a lot of stiching to be memorable. This photo did not inspire

meaningful discussion outside of technique because it was not meant to evoke any sort of

feeling that was not superficial by the viewer. In my opinion, a POW choice should take us

deeper into our selves with ambiguity and an unknowable mystery attached to it. I know this

topic has been debated in the past, I just thought it needed to be said again. Hips

"a POW choice should take us deeper into our selves with ambiguity and an unknowable mystery attached to it" - C.R. HIPS

 

Mr.Hips, I'm not sure if you can actually find an architectural photo that would achieve what you request... Can you...?

I think that the picture has it's potential to be remarkable and memorable one, though after a couple of looks you see some flaws. At the first sight I was much confused looking at the picture and I believe that it was the main purpose of making it. I've never seen a better success on this theme (confusing urban place crowded by tall buildings, that are almost falling on you).

PS: I would crop the bottom, which slightly distracts from this. :)

Regards,

Thanks to Mr. Hips starting a debate on emotional content of this photo. Hard to say if any architectural shot has a potential for unknowable mystery, as Marc pointed out. But at least for me there is a message beyond technical witchcraft here. As mentioned earlier, I felt deeply impressed by this futuristic scenery, new for me, being a country bumpkin ;-) Discussants made associations about Escher figures and Metropolis: Robert P. said it nicely, it is about feeling small and mediocre in a futuristic, confusing urban place

Carsten, I think what could have made the picture more interesting (content wise) would be a

human element. Distorting the image without implicating its affect on the people who inhabit

the buildings or interact with them seems an empty trick with no purpose. Perhaps showing

people

scrambling to work at the bottom of the image would be the logical place of interaction, even

if we only see their heads. Anyway, It would be interesting to hear from others with other

solutions to the content problem in this picture . In spite of all this , I enjoy the ride your

image takes me on. I only wish it wasnt over so soon and I wanted to do it again. All the best,

Hips

For my two cents, I think the dynamics of this shot held peoples attention a bit longer than

possibly your average architectural shot. In fact, I am not sure I would totally categorize

this as architecture, altho a dominant element to be sure. The introduction of a human

might have "loaded" the photo is some way, but it would not have been what it is now. But

a photo like this, and many others that are certainly valid expressions, don't necessarily

need to go into the deep realms of the psyche to be worthy of our study. On the other

hand, they will not provide the basis for a lively discussion for a week either, but maybe

that is ok-at least once in awhile. For me, I do think a photo like this would have a life on

a wall, it does not challenge on a daily basis, but it does provide some imbalance if not

alone for its scale and dynamics. I don't think every piece of art needs to be in our face,

but we don't want it to recede into being wallpaper either.

Carsten, excellent work. Stiching the photos together made for not only a visually stimulating photograph, but one that draws the viewer in to a different world. Nothing like simulating a super-super-wide angle!

I think the main reason that the technical seemed to dominate this week's discussion of Mr. Ranke's very fine image is because he has been so generous in providing the background behind it (from b/w conversion and duotone techniques to stitching methods to even the posting of the original unprocessed captures). So often in these POW discussions, questions are raised as to technique, but they don't get very far because we never hear from the photographer himself or herself. Mr. Ranke should be commended for his active participation in the thread this week.

 

While I, like everyone else, was very curious as to the technical details, I think the root of this curiosity lies in the almost primal emotional impact that the image has on us. The phrase "urban jungle" is an overused one, but here the umbrella-like structure that overshadows the entire image looks forever like the canopy of a tree. We not only see the urban jungle here, but we feel it as well because of the viewpoint - we're inside looking up, trapped by it. Thus, for me, this image -- enhanced by its monolithic blue steel tone -- perfectly captures the look and feel of our present-day (and expected future) human habitat, generating all sorts of thoughts about where we've been and where we're going. For me, that's the staying power of this image - not the technical wizardry that went in to creating it.

Wow...wow again...I am late here to comment but I love it...great composition, nevere seen and angle like it, all the elements up above adds to the picture, making in to a complex photograph, well seen, regards, Rajeev.

Hi Carsten

This photo is dizzying and dazzling! Well captured.Kindest regards, Iren

But beautiful,

 

Regards,

 

Bram