Through the Arch, a photo from North Yorkshire, England

Photographer's Note

My previous 3 photos showed fairly straight forward shots of Helmsley Castle. Many of you will know from my critiques to you that I like photos naturally framed by something. This is the East Tower as seen through the open doorway of the West Tower, which now forms part of the Tudor Mansion. If you look at the mansion you will see the doorway on the tower on the left.
This photo wasn’t as easy to take as it seems. There was a huge puddle in the West Tower which filled most of the floor (you will see from my next post). To show the top of the tower through the open door I had to put the tripod down as low as it would go. To get far enough back I was standing in the water and had to crouch down low without getting wet.
I hope it was worth it.

siolaw, Paolo, delkoo, besnard, Muse, pasternak, Floydian, chrisnet, peter1892, jwmunro, josepmarin, sabyasachi1212, riclopes, JCG, Philippe, Henryk_Bilor, wodigori, plimrn, ktanska, axiotea, vincz, Gerrit, John_F_Kennedy, cobbydale, anesugur, pablominto, papagolf21, UlfE, balatrek, sergio1, john_c, luiscar has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

marjan (7) 2006-12-13 4:03

hi Kath, nice shot, good and interesting POV. I like motive of old buildings and castles.
Marjan

siolaw (38294) 2006-12-13 4:08

Hi Kath
You ve got a nice natural framing here with that arch! Good colors and contrast, exact POV found to have the tower tightly framed.. that tower actually looks like just a wall with nothing behind it!
Laurent

Paolo (41258) 2006-12-13 4:14

Hi Kath, amazing view, with a brilliant use of the arch as a big frame.
good quality and amazing colours on the grass.
thanks, ciao

delkoo (68) 2006-12-13 4:57

hi kath
well framed through the arch and interesting composition, the destroy wall guides us to the tower.
best regards
didier

besnard (59196) 2006-12-13 4:58

Bonjour Kath
Bonne idée de nous faire voir ce château juste à la sortie de ce passage en pierres.
Une belle luminosité met l'ensemble très en valeur.
Merci pour le partage et bonne journée.
Nicole

Muse (35030) 2006-12-13 5:03

Hello Kath,
Un bon cadrage sous cette arche pour nous faire découvrir sous ce joli ciel bleu.
Un tout bon pov.
Une bonne lumière.
Best regards
Denise

pasternak (15185) 2006-12-13 5:40

Of course it was worth it, Kath, an eye-catcher, I really like this kind of photos, when an architecture is seen through an arch. The arch is a bit dark though, but maybe it's my screen...

Cheers
Alexander

Floydian (30970) 2006-12-13 7:45

Hi Kath,
Although the view through the gate is very tight, i really like this. The vertical composition works very good and the light in front on the rocks is still there with enough detail. Light on the tower is neutral which stands in good contrast to the foreground....good work.
Regards, Henk

chrisnet (23062) 2006-12-13 8:07

Hello Kath,
This framing is very original and well seen. I like much this arch in the foreground and you have very well managed the light. A good work.
Regards
Christian

peter1892 (1681) 2006-12-13 9:44

Hi Kath - it was certainly worth the effort! The chosen POV means that the frame fits the castle perfectly, the light is good too, nice balance between the dark areas within the frame & the brighter area beyond it.

jwmunro (286) 2006-12-13 9:54

Hello Kath -

Well done Kath! What I really like about this image is the detail in the shadows - no massive black frame around the castle. The building is a bit tight in the archway but it does work and minimizes the gray sky. The image is sharp front back and the exposure is dead on, I like it. Well done!

Thank you for sharing

John

lukie (0) 2006-12-13 12:10

Hello Kath,

I also tried such a shot before, not easy ! Here you managed to not have that over-exposed part which is sometimes difficult to avoid shooting through a gate or so.

regards,

Luc.

josepmarin (59385) 2006-12-13 13:19

Hello Kath,
Interesting composition where you have used the great door to create a frame to the tower of background.
The light in this kind of photos is very difficult to control, but you have obtained a good result in the exposure, with soft colors and good lighting.
Your composition is good, is well seen and realized well.
Regards,
Josep

sabyasachi1212 (19779) 2006-12-13 13:39

Hi Kath,
Among the many new things I have learnt here on TE is the different variations of framing one can experiment with. I love the way you have framed the castle through the archway. I guess it is worth the trouble you had to go through.
With Greetings from India
Sabyasachi

riclopes (35577) 2006-12-13 14:00

It seems like a unique composition, Kath. The work of precision worthed well the trouble and the result is very beautiful, with the façade milimetrically fittted. I also apreciate natural framings and this one pleases me more than usual. I love the contrast in/out and the light on the sides of the stone arch looks so natural. Plus, I like the way the façade looks like a stage scenery for a movie...
Ricardo

JCG (35153) 2006-12-13 14:36

Hi Kath,

A pretty aesthetic research task succeeded perfectly. Cheer Kath, I like very much the play of the lights which gives marvellous contrasts. A very beautiful composition on this great architecture.

Best regards,

Jean-Charles

gilou530 (34) 2006-12-13 14:46

salut kath
trés beautiful depth of field has through this porch, the lumiére and clearness is very good
friendships
gilbert

Philippe (11836) 2006-12-13 15:01

Hi, Kath. So now you combine photography and exercise ;o). Well, the framing here is very good with the tower fitting perfectly in the arch. There is also a good balance between low and high lights, with no over- or underexposure, which was difficult to achieve here.

t0mmm1 (5442) 2006-12-13 15:07

Hi Kath,
nicely composed shot. I like the use... no, I can't write this... you'll read this hundred times in other critiques. I must do something different and find something that I don't like ;)) ... looking... ...looking... reading... ...From your note I don't know if it was possible to go nearer to the doorway... what I mean... hm... ... I don't know... nobody wrote you this... Well, my oppinion is that the tower is a little under pressure of the arch and mooving little closer to the doorway you could solve this... with a little more sky around the tower and a lower POV. This way you'll get also a little smaller frame and wider aperture. But like I said before, nobody noticed this, so I might be also wrong ;))
Have a nice day,
Tomi

jjbach (9326) 2006-12-13 15:15

Hi Kath,
Excellent composition with great depth and very clever faming. The light management is really perfect for this difficult shot. Splendid work!

Regards John

berke (154) 2006-12-13 16:31

Hi Kath,
Excellent frame in frame idea again.Perfect sharpness and colors. TFS..

isabib (1953) 2006-12-13 16:34

Hi Kath,

Nice idea framing the castle. Great colors saturation. TFS!

Henryk_Bilor (20803) 2006-12-13 16:38

Hi Kath
Your troubles mean that you must buy a better shoes ;).
I like the effect you`ve obtained. Very good framing by the stone-doorway. Nice view at the second tower and nice colours too.
Regards

ollie59 (796) 2006-12-13 21:43

god grief kath ,i think that arch was made for that framing !!!!!! well spotted and its well taken good detail in the shadows andi love that sky .
well done and merry Christmas
Andy

plimrn (21344) 2006-12-13 23:00

Hi Kath,
The things we do to frame the shot right!! It is perfectly framed. As Luc notes you did well to avoid overexposure; it gave great detail in the clouds. I think the little slice of blue sly with clouds is the icing on the cake.
Regards, Pat

ALIRIZA (16423) 2006-12-14 1:55

Hi Kath,
Amazing view with great frame. Colours, contrast and composition are beautiful. I like the motif of old buildings a lot. Well done my friend...
Have a nice day...
Ali Rıza

Graal (103040) 2006-12-14 3:00

Hi Kath,
good idea, fine composition and quality of photo. Friends all told You. I like this job, too. Well done.
Gr., Aleksander

ktanska (44766) 2006-12-14 3:15

Hi Kath,
It's the most clausrophobic composition I can remember. I wouldn't say that I'd like to see lots of the same kind. But as a single shot it works. It's original, like the best shots tend to be.
Last week I had a similar experience myself. I was in Germany and visited ruins of Roman baths in Trier. Lots of stone arches, tunnels and moisture.
Kari

markstaples (15670) 2006-12-14 4:16

Hi Kath
Your trademark :)
A very nice and successful idea - the tower fits its frame to perfection. You've even retained colour in the sky, which can't have been easy when metering given the dark walls, which incidentally have much detail still visible. A technical and aesthetic triumph!
Best wishes
Mark

axiotea (21651) 2006-12-14 4:24

Hi Kath,
Sometimes it's not easy for me to make an useful comment, especially I don t have your knowledge about the technical details and I feel it can be boring for you. Also my english is a bit poor but I feel (hopefully) that I've improved slightly better through TE.
IMHO I think it's a gorgeous shot with the ruin of the castle which is perfectly and naturally framed by the arch. Nice color contrasts/saturation and DOF.
Cheers,
Marilyn

vincz (19113) 2006-12-14 4:31

very interesting natural framing. The most interesting part i thnk is the fact that all the "entrance" to your picture is in the shadow very dark and there is gorgeous light and colours at the end of this small "tunnel". it gives lots of depth to your picture. very creative!

PixelTerror (0) 2006-12-14 4:37

Hi Kath,
I like such framing and here it's even more appropriate because the darker arch allows the well lit tower to stand out in the best way, effective !
Have a nice day,
Jean-Yves

Gerrit (62042) 2006-12-14 5:55

Ji Kath,
It fits just right. Must have been quite a puzzling and measuring. It has created a very fine picture with strong colours and contrasts.
Regards, Gerrit

peco85 (921) 2006-12-14 6:27

Hey Kath;)

Such a lovely way to frame the castle! Good colors and well caught details and texture in the arch as well:)

PeCO

John_F_Kennedy (43797) 2006-12-14 7:09

Great idea to frame the castle tower with arch. Beautiful photo, the light is very nice.
Achim

carper (96) 2006-12-14 12:49

very nice looking through Kath,
fine quality, good point of view and good ligh in the shot, well seen and good job.
gr. jaap

captainsgirl (3450) 2006-12-14 19:17

Wow Kath, what an inchanting place this is, like I expect so see a knight in shinning armor and the king and a jester dancing around in the courtyard....amazing view into this world..very nice. TFS
Donna :o)

Thanks for your comments on my photo " Lake Erie - December 13, 2006 " :o)

ben4321 (9875) 2006-12-15 9:08

Excellent composition here Kath, using the archway to frame the castle has worked very well.
I think you inluded a little too much of the stone floor at the bottom of the frame; maybe a bit of a crop would improve things.
Other than that, it's a good shot.
Well done.

Cheers,
Ben

cobbydale (1958) 2006-12-15 14:54

Lovely (in fact perfect) framing Kath. Great depth of field, the top of the far castle walls are still well defined against the archway.

Worth all the manoeveuring I think!

cheers Leon.

anesugur (18789) 2006-12-15 15:12

Hi Kath,
Very good composition.
Beautiful point of view and colors.
Have a nice weekend. Uğur

pablominto (53746) 2006-12-16 2:08

Hello Kath,
Accurate framing!
I like the colour contrast, and the pleasant feeling of depth...
Good textures in the wall in front, and good colours and details in the ruin!
Greetings,
Pablo -

papagolf21 (152607) 2006-12-16 3:45

Bonjour Kath,
La réussite est encore présente à travers cette prise de vue. Excellente mise en valeur de cette architecture dont les vestiges gardent toute leur beauté.
Cadrage très bien pensé et réalisé.
Amitiés.
Philippe

UlfE (14641) 2006-12-16 7:32

Hi Kath,

Excellent natural framing. I really love the contrast between the yellow tower and the very dark grey walls of the passage. Excellent colours.

Cheers,

Ulf

balatrek (7455) 2006-12-16 10:15

Hi Kath,

Interesting composition and great perspective, good control of the light, I like since you have framed the castle with the arc of close-up, the textures and the contrasts are perfect to create this beautiful and creative image.

Regards
José

cam (9043) 2006-12-16 20:47

Hello Kath
Yes Kath,you were succesfull as both the inside,even in the darkest part is showing nice details,and the natural frame is the best for this tower,being from the same era.
As I can see it was a tight fit.
Also the line of rocks is a good leading line.
well done,the extras work was worth it.
Charles

berek (50518) 2006-12-18 1:41

Hi Kath,
very good frame in frame working . great point of view and light control. congratulations.
Burak
my overall evaluation -> ****

Angshu (56760) 2006-12-18 4:23

Hi Kath
Your framings are always interesting & the POVs you get is always a learning for me...And to read about the troubles you went thru for taking this shot, makes this all the more worthwhile. The framing is really tight here. Your handling of light is also great as there would be a tendency of OE on the outside. Very good photo indeed
Regards
Angshu

sergio1 (12152) 2006-12-18 7:46

Hi Kath

Wonderful pov arround arch. I like the textures and good frame. The sharpness and idea are nice.
Well done
Sergio

coco (30439) 2006-12-18 12:08

Hi Kath-
The exposure, sure, not was easy.
But you have done a great and clever work.
I like it very much.

Thanks.

john_c (24666) 2006-12-19 0:00

Hi Kath,
You are using archways and windows now for some very effective, high impact shots. I like the exposure level here, with the masonry on either side quite discernible. The swath of grass really adds some necessary contrast and enriches the scene. Yes, it was worth the toil to frame the tower perfectly here...
John

luiscar (3286) 2007-06-30 21:39

Hello Kath, a very well taken image.
I like as you have framed these ruins across such a small arch, you perfected very well the framing.
good work
a greeting.