Architecture and straight lines?

[mtngal]

My lunch break yesterday and today were spent wandering around, looking at the preparations for today's graduation ceremonies, and took this picture.

Normally the "leaning buildings" bother me and I always try to staighten the lines using the skew tool in CS2 (when you take a picture of a multi-story building, you are looking up at it. The top is further away from you than the bottom, causing a "keystone" effect and making the buildings look like they are falling away from you). However, after straightening the lines in this picture, I'm not so sure I like it as well as I do the original.

What do others think?

Straightened lines photograph, K10, kit lens.

[mtngal]

The original perspective (these both have had a bit cropped off the bottom).

[Hayward]

mtngal wrote:

However, after straightening the lines in this picture, I'm not so sure I like it as well as I do the original.

What do others think?

Straightened lines photograph, K10, kit lens.

Well fisrt of all for the Orig shot the curvature is so slight not sure I would have even bothered to spend the time on it... unless I was going to try and sell it to the owner.

Or you somehow thought more of it than just a shot of a semi cool building..

[TDN]

I'd go for a compromise between the 2. The straightened one seems a little unnatural, I don't know why, but it's like the buildings are curved forward a little.

On the other hand, the original will benifit from a little straightening...so I'd go for a compromise: don't straighten them until they really stand up straight, but leave them a little leaning backwards. Thay way it just looks like you used a more expensive lens

[bilybianca]

I agree with Tom.

Kjell

[Wingman]

The difference is so subtle, I can't tell the difference between the two! It is a beautiful building. If I can offer up a suggestion: try the same picture with a polarizing filter--the added contrast from the sky will likely provide a great backdrop!

[bluwing]

Hi,

I like the looks of the first one. It has straight lines, Where as the second looks to me like the towers and the wing on the rightside of the picture are tilting back from the ground.

It really matters which ones pleases you the most. Pick that one and run with it...:G

Rudy

[penolta]

No.1 looks artificial to me - sort of stretched and flattened. No 2 looks natural - you need a bit of perspective to retain dimensionality - itis as you would see it. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

[penolta]

duplicate - please delete

[Herb]

mtngal,

After looking hard at both pictures, I wondered how the original would look if it were simply rotated. Here's how it looks rotated very slightly - (0.5 degree) clockwise.

Herb