Kaknästornet Photo

Photographer’s Note

This is my first contribute to the April scavenger hunt, what a great idea!

This is the Kaknäs tower, the tallest building in Stockholm. As you might have guessed from all the antennas, it's main purpose is that of a TV relay tower. But it is also a tourist attraction with two observation decks, one indoor and one outdoor, and a nice restaurant. All of these latter functions are placed in the knob at the top of the tower.

Stockholm is not a very "tall" city. Most houses downtown are 5 to 6 stories high. There has been lots of debate about building skyscrapers but the consensus so far has been that it would destroy the city image. Personally I agree with this view, Stockholm is Stockholm, not New York or Kuala Lumpur.

Anyways, as a result this, our tallest building, isn't very tall at all, compared to buildings in other places. it only measures 155 meters from the parkinglot to the top antenna. But since Kaknästornet is placed a bit to the side of the city, it is standing alone in a small forest near a huge grass field (gärdet), it totally dominates it's surroundings and the view from the observation deck is magnificent.

This image was stitched together from 3 separate pictures. The original picture had two twigs sticking out near the top. I debated with myself for a long time before I decided to clone them out. I have posted the twig version as a workshop, I'd love to hear your view on which one you prefer, twigs, or no twigs?

torben, Rockyboy, mitternacht, omritoppol has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

torben (3084) 2004-04-04 7:55

I prefer this version without the twigs, the light and the architecture are so hard that they look out of place as idyllic clichees.
Something slipped a bit during the stiching, the tower is bending to the right about one third up!
I like the crisp and hard presentation of this techno-tower, it's a pity that someone chickened out and painted the roof at the entrance green, it should have been grey and without that cliche gabled roof motive!
Don't worry, that tower is _much_ higher than anything in Copenhagen.

zto (292) 2004-04-04 12:19

Welcome to the hunt Mattias ;)Hope everything is well by the way. I have developed a love for dramatic angles so i think i would have tried to take this from a much closer distance and leaning the camra up wards, to isolate the tower against the sky. But on the other hand, that would mean losing the human element, which is a good way of showing scale, which is always good.

My choise would be no twigs as well.

Rockyboy (20582) 2004-04-04 14:38

Very nice stitiching work... I wonder what program did you used because I am trying to do the same with the Brussel's tallest building...

Deus (926) 2004-04-06 8:27

No Twigs -3
...Twigs -0

Nice picture Mattias.
I don´t think that building was already up last time I was in Stockholm.
This is by all means a great picture and besides being a good contender for the scavenger hunt it retains the full spirit of TE.

omritoppol (826) 2004-04-08 10:45

I must admit I like it with the twigs... I also agree with Zandra on the dramatic approach. Still this shot is good as it is and a very interesting note