Vermont State House 2, a photo from Vermont, Northeast

Photographer's Note

From colorful yesterday to monochrome today - another shot from the Vermont State House, a beautiful little building in the beautiful little town of Montpelier, Vermont.

The current State House is the third to occupy the same spot in Montpelier, and it is the largest. The previous version had a low, saucer-like dome, but that structure burned in a large fire in 1857, necessitating the construction of a new State House. The current one possesses a dome in a style similar to that of many other state houses, and is similarly golden. The statue atop the dome is called Agriculture, and is a representation of the Roman God of Agriculture, Ceres. As with most American State Capitols, there is a very distinct classical influence here, though in this case it is a mix of Greek and Roman.

This is among my favorite B&W conversions I've done, mostly due to the sharpness of the dome and the shadows on the statue, but the smaller size here doesn't quite display the way I'd like. See the larger version linked below for a clearer view.

Larger version on Flickr, here.
Full Vermont set on Flickr, here.

worldcitizen, Sonata11, macjake, krzychu30, snunney, timecapturer, Hansaphotos, bukitgolfb301, delpeoples, Schnappilic, bona, thebest, adores has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

worldcitizen (4926) 2013-01-31 15:16

Hello Andrew,
Same State House, but with a completely different feeling to it. The crop and the B/W presentation accentuate the classical details and all of the shapes. We would never be able to tell from this version that fall was in full swing, as we could from the previous color version. It's a strong composition.

rogerl (940) 2013-01-31 17:59

Nice, very sharp, B&W capture. Great range of tones, from the bright dome reflection to the black background of the trees. The image somehow doesn't seem quite vertical, though - the top of the dome feels further right than the bottom.

Sonata11 (28748) 2013-01-31 19:15

Hi Andrew,
beautiful picture you post today. Great composition of magnificent Vermont State House.I like beautiful architecture and the statue on the top of this dome. Great chsen B&W color for this image, perfect sharpness, clarity, an excellent POV and DOF as well. Love it.TFS.
All the best,
Barbara

dkmurphys (37399) 2013-01-31 22:21

Hi Andrew,
Even it looks a little bit simple, I like this kind of architecture capture. The light is managed perfectly so the contrasts are in their best. Well done!

Daniel

SnapRJW (19188) 2013-01-31 22:33

Hello Andrew - It's a well known fact that B&W does not garner the interest due to it on TE, it's a pity as this is a very fine shot, I think one of your best. You have managed the conversion really well with a white white and a black black and a host of tones in-between. The composition is slick and very nicely balanced and you have made very good use of the attractive light. Super! Warm regards Rosemary

macjake (39962) 2013-01-31 22:38

Hi Andrew
yes, I have to agree with you on this one...it has to be not only your best monochrome post, but your best posted photo on TE to date!!!
this one is a 10/10 for me.
that side lighting is the show stopper!
and in the large version we see everything just perfectly.
its such a great feeling when it comes out like this one has!
bravo
cheers
craig

emka (58982) 2013-01-31 23:36

Hi Andrew, I like the colours yesterday but this version looks also very nice. Excellent cut and the dome shines beautifully.

Warm regrads

MAlgo

JFS (32425) 2013-01-31 23:36

I love it in B&W, so clean, so elegant! The light is perfect. Thanks Andrew!
cheers,
juan

krzychu30 (9385) 2013-02-01 2:02

Hello Andrew,
so you´re testing your new lens?the result is really stunning.I like the scene and choice of B&W,which looks fabulous in combination with this kind of architecture.Also the contrast between the sky and the dome is another reason why B&W suits so good to this scene.I can only say-superb job and B&W treatment.

Best regards
Krzysztof

snunney (67918) 2013-02-01 3:46

Hello Andrew,
We seem to have similar themes for our latest postings. I like very much the use of black and white here, it places the emphasis clearly on the architectural detail. The image is framed very well indeed and has a fine range of contrasting tones.

timecapturer (31250) 2013-02-01 3:48

Hi Andrew
nice monochrome shot of this impressive State House. I particularly like the light and shade in this shot it brings out the details and textures beautifully. Excellent!

Have a great weekend - Brian.

willperrett (3057) 2013-02-01 4:16

Hello Andrew
So you've posted a monochrome photograph too. You're clearly not chasing those points! This certainly looks impressive in b/w, with the shining dome and sharply delineated shapes. You don't say how you managed the b/w conversion. I wonder if you relied on Photoshop (perfectly fine - I've used it for years for this purpose), or whether you've invested in Nik Silver FX Pro plug-in. I bought this for myself for Christmas, and am favourably impressed, though not by the price or the speed at which it operates. If you don't know it, it may be worth at least trialing it for a month. Or you could just buy some monochrome film!
Regards
Will

Noel_Byrne (8055) 2013-02-01 5:33

hi Andrew,
Very nicely suited to black and white, its converted beautifully. The statue stands out really nicely against the sky, and the whole image has excellent clarity. Nicely done!
All the best
Noel

Nicou (98741) 2013-02-01 5:40

Hello

quelle coupole rune merveille fantastique vue et iamge quelle brillance et image quel rendu et cadrage superbe.
Bravo et amitié

Nicou

Hansaphotos (5585) 2013-02-01 7:26

Hi Andrew

It`s truly a beautiful Capitol building. I`m glad you did a b&w version and a close-up of the dome. The lighting and the way you have controlled the light is realy excellent. The dark sky makes a nice backdrop and provides a fine contrast to the main subject. Splendid shaprness and fine details. Thanks also for the link to the large version. Excellent work:) TFS. Have a nice WE.

Greetings, Erling

Romano46 (5958) 2013-02-01 10:38

Ciao Andrew
il Bianco e nero da molti viene considerato fuori dal tempo, ma io lo trovo ricco di fascino e meglio del colore in determinate circostanze.
Nella tua foto ci sta benissimo, anzi evidenzia la la finezza grafica della cupola anche per via della buona nitidezza e del contrasto che hai saputo dosare abbastanza bene.
Ciao e buon fine settimana
Romano

mesutilgim (68590) 2013-02-01 13:40

Hello Andrew,
You've given as medium "color" but I think it's a b&w capture.
Anyhow it's nice with good graphism and many interesting notes.
TFS and have a nice weekend
MESUT ILGIM

bukitgolfb301 (30387) 2013-02-01 14:30

Hi dear Andrew

Sorry for my late reaction to youagain!
Ya colored image is great but this B&W image is also so fantastic and so moody. Great zooming up framework and perfect balanced composition. Great shot indeed!
Thanks for sharing with your finest job and have a good Sat.!

Takero from Tokyo

jcpix (3784) 2013-02-01 19:51

Hi Andrew,

Yes, well deserving of all the positive comments! The lighting I think is the most captivating aspect of this photo, it feels like that brief moment of sun peeking through the clouds on a stormy day. Such a well thought out arrangement too, I really enjoy the shapes from this close up look at the State House. The sharpness is amazing, it gives (oddly enough) smooth texture. How's that for an oxymoron? ha Impressive work, thanks for sharing this beauty.

Have a great weekend.

Jason

delpeoples (45684) 2013-02-03 1:30

Dear Andrew

This is an excellent B&W conversion. The contrast is lovely and strong, the sky looks great and the depth is so good, the dome looks three-dimensional. I like the close up cut of the dome too. Great work, it almost looks like Silver Efex here.

Cheers, and happy Sunday
Lisa

Schnappilic (7955) 2013-02-03 11:05

Hello Andrew,

Beautiful B/W post with good framing and superb management of light. Lovely result!

Beat regards,

Ovidiu

jemaflor (69709) 2013-02-03 12:53

Hi Andrew,
Well framed this domme, I like this b&w version, perfect sharpness and contrast, tfs

bona (10212) 2013-02-04 6:39

Hi Andrew,

another great photo of the Vermont State House. I like the option for B&W with the strong grey tones.
Nicely done.
Regards
andre

thebest (3370) 2013-02-07 18:48

Hi Andrew,

I really like this version of your photo in black & white - what wonderful clarity I really love the light & the glossy texture on the Dome.
Excellent photo I prefer this to the colour version.

Kindest regards,
Dawn.

adores (28536) 2013-02-13 16:39

Hi Andrew!
You're right, I've already checked the larger version and this is a really good work. I like the pov and the conversion a lot. Then, the light is just perfect, specially with the dark sky in background. Very good work!

Photo Information

Copyright: Andrew Lipsett (ACL1978) (6103)
Genre: Places
Medium: Black & White
Date Taken: 2012-10-12
Camera: Nikon D3100, Nikkor AF-S 50 m/m f/1.8 G
Exposure: f/5.0, 6 seconds
More Photo Info: view
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): US State Houses - East, Black and White, Your Favorites [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2013-01-31 13:36