Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates/Keizersgracht Amsterdam

Keizersgracht, Amsterdam

**Original** - The picture was taken at night on the corner of the Keizersgracht and the Leidsegracht on the 25th of February 2008.

Reason: I think it is a beautiful photograph. We don't have a lot of good photographs of canals in Amsterdam on Wikipedia. Also, I would like to know, how you people would rate this photograph.
Articles this image appears in: Keizersgracht, The Netherlands
Creator: Massimo Catarinella

Support as nominator Massimo Catarinella (talk) 12:52, 9 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Comment The photo is quite good, though it may fail here on purely encyclopedic grounds. A little digital manipulation of the sky would fix some noise issues. Some of the streetlamps are a bit overblown (that is, they're so bright that detail is lost around them), but that's probably unavoidable and I refuse to hold it against this photo =) ). I think I like your photo of the Prinsengracht (Image:PrinsengrachtAmsterdam.jpg) better, as, having visited Groningen regularly, it seems a more typical Netherlands sight. If it doesn't pass here, try it on the Commons FPC (fix the sky first - WP:GL/IMPROVE can help with that), but be warned that people there aren't always as friendly as one could hope. commons:COM:QI is friendlier. Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 13:32, 9 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- Actually, I don't see much noise at all. One thing that I would recommend, though, is that since you obviously have some sort of support for you camera to take a five second exposure, it surely can't hurt to stop down to f/8 and make it a 12-second exposure (risking a little more noise, but it would likely get much better sharpness, especially in the corners). Thegreenj 15:36, 9 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  - Eh, maybe it's this stupid LCD screen. Used to have a nice CRT, but it died. Shoemaker's Holiday (talk) 16:21, 9 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Comment I'd add to other recommendations (esp Thegreenj) by suggesting you shoot with a level camera. This one would have been better with less sky and more foreground, yet the camera is pointing upwards, resulting in that unpleasant perspective distortion. Slightly earlier in the evening would have been better, too. --mikaul^talk 14:48, 12 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
I would love to make more photographs with a "higher-level" camera. Will you buy me one?...... Really, I'm not opposed to critique, but this comment doesn't add any value to the conversation, whether this is a good photograph or not.Massimo Catarinella (talk) 18:22, 12 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
- A "level camera" just means that it's parallel with your subject so that the buildings don't seem to become skinnier as they go up. Thegreenj 20:27, 12 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  - And to be fair I thought the criticism was quite constructive, even allowing for the misinterpretation of level/high level. For example, less sky, more foreground - check; that means we don't have as much sky but say get the lights on all the arches fully reflected in the water. Same for other remarks; you may disagree with some, but they weren't just throwaway comments like many nominations get. --jjron (talk) 05:48, 13 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
    - The only throwaway comment in my opinion was the remark about the camera and that rose out of a misinterpetation. More foreground was not an option while taking this photograph. There is a large rail just below the point from where I took this picture. Massimo Catarinella (talk) 17:50, 13 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
      - If this anonymous reply is from the creator/nominator, then you've misinterpreted another comment - perhaps spend a bit of time here getting familiar with the process before nominating again. If it's from someone else, then it doesn't make much sense. --jjron (talk) 13:00, 13 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose - you are brave to put this up and you have asked for feedback so I hope you will find my comments helpful. Compositionally the picture is an absolute No-No. You have a very sharp corner pointing at the viewer and strong direction lines driving straight out of the picture in all directions. Everything screams "get out of here". The only picture I have seen in 600 years of Western art that has anything like this (Rain in Paris) has strong components blocking the run out and pulling against it. Incidentally, if you look at it in terms of Feng Shui you are disturbing the viewer by pointing a sharp edge. On top of that it is really a picture of light bulbs. I read in the article that there are some 1550 monumental buildings in the area, so why black them out? The article makes it look as if the place is inhabited by vampires. Surely with all that water there must be boats and people on the bank and interesting reflections to give the pictures life (and I wont comment on the one daytime one). Perhaps you are limited by winter conditions so I beg you to go out on the bright summer day or warm evening and take some pictures that show what it looks like and give atmosphere instead of another set of indistinguishable lights. Furthermore think of the composition - have a focal point that draws the viewer in. In addition, successful paintings typically have three key points that make the eye move round the image and keep it interested. - Whoops forgot to sign - Have looked at your other pics - again think of the composition and where the lines are taking the eye. All the best Motmit (talk) 14:13, 14 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Not promoted . --John254 00:13, 16 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]