Mohamed Ali Mosque, at the Citadel, Cairo

This is one of the first pics taken with a recently acquired Yashica

Mat 124G. Most of the roll isn't worth sharing, but feel free to

give me any comments. What rules of composition apply to a 6x6

shot? How do I use a waist-level finder most effectively?

Thanks!

Dan,

Your composition looks OK to me. I've been a Yashica TLR user for years. I don't think there's any special tips on using the waist level viewer other than check around the edges for extraneous stuff. Enjoy the 124G!

Since I shoot only with Nikon F3, I am not qualified to make any comments regarding your medium format abilities.

But as an architectural shot, this image needs much improvement. First of all: LIGHT. High mid-day light does very little here to emphasize the 3-D qualities of this building. Solution: try other times of day. Second of all: EXPOSURE. If we're supposed to see the detail of the facade then expose for the facade, not for the sky or the roof (which apparently you did). Third of all: CROPPING. Why crowd the frame with the building? Why all the unnecessary sky space above? Fourth: CHOICE OF FOCAL LENGTH. Could you perhaps choose a longer focal length and stand back futher? If so, you'll flatten the building's planes somewhat, making for a more satisfactory image. Better yet, of course, use large format for appropriate swings and tilts.

General comment: architctural photography is much more difficult than it might seem. If you want a compelling image you must avoid the snap shot quality that this image displays.

Keep trying. Good luck!

B.G.