Light tunnel 111212-2bsm

This is the tunnel between the east and west galleries at the National Art

Gallery in DC.

Heavily post processed.

This one works the best of the series for me. Here is a case where the post processing seems totally in keeping with the content of the photo. It seems more integral to what's in front of me and not just an add-on. The light and depth seem consistent with a futuristic kind of post work. I like the way you captured the people here a bit more than in the other examples. This feels like a photo to me, not an illustration, even though so much work has been done on the photo. The colder aspects of the blues and whites to the left and above nicely work against the warmer tunnel area that includes the human presence. The details, for instance of the rope barrier, are nicely captured and handled. It's a nice utilization of space and almost an architectural presentation. The composition works in that my eye is drawn to the kind of white vortex at the core of the lighting structure and yet the people are enough of a presence to provide a narrative subplot to the design elements.

Speaking of the people, something that seems a little off is that they are out of focus. At a shutter speed of 1/25 you're bound to get a bit of camera shake. I could see the people being even more blurred, which would have required an even slower shutter speed, which might nicely have gone along with the otherworldly processing ideas. But they seem in a somewhat in-between stage to me.

Fred, I have been to this location dozens of times and it has a surreal feel to it. In one sense it is a time machine in that it takes you from the modern art building to the traditional gallery -- different art, very different architecture of the buildings etc. At the same time the lights are a moving display. I have probably taken 500 exposures here and have yet to capture what I'm after. I'm not sure it is even possible with a still image. The place reminds me of some of the scenes toward the end of Kubrick's 2001. Since the lights are stationary and programed, a slow shutter doesn't move the lights, but can blur the people, which may help representing the feeling. Part of the issue is that you cannot bring a tripod or monopod into the museum. You have to rely on the combination of VR and a steady hand. It certainly worth the stop on any visit to the National Mall.

Thanks for looking and sharing your thoughts.