Thursday, June 1, 2017

Montreal By Night - Complexe Desjardins

It's Wise To Compromise

During a walk one pleasant evening, I came across this colorful atrium. 

The ceiling caught my eye first, specifically the diamond-shaped panels that were lit with multi-colored gels. First, I set up a shot that isolated the ceiling, but I decided to include the steps, doors, and shiny metal railings in an alternate composition.


a photo of complexe desjardins montreal at night daniel south photography
Complexe Desjardins - Montréal



My trusty 24mm perspective control lens kept the vertical lines under control. I had to maneuver the tripod over some cracks in the sidewalk. I leveled the camera and focused carefully.

Capturing the ceiling was tricky. Those diamond-shaped panels changed colors constantly. A long shutter speed wouldn't work, because as the colors changed, they morphed into a bland amber. I sped things up by boosting the ISO to a stop above the base value and opening the aperture from f/11 to f/8. These modest compromises yielded a shutter speed that was fast enough to capture the unique colors of one cycle of lights. 

Voilà! A shot to remember!


Camera:    Nikon D810

Lens:        PC-E Nikkor 24mm f/3.5 ED Tilt/Shift

Wishing you great light and meaningful moments!

Copyright 2017 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved




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