The Shape of Light XI - The Shell Haus Berlin

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    Edit : This photo is part of a series of 5 that has been awarded 2nd place at the International Photography Awards 2012 (IPA 2012) in the architectural category. This means that after winning 2nd place in 2010 and 1st place in 2011 that I've won this competition for 3 consecutive years in this category at this prestigious competition.

    “Architecture is the learned game, correct and magnificent, of forms assembled in the light ”

    - Le Corbusier
    Light shapes - shape the light.

    Join me at the New York City architectural workshop/photowalk on Nov. 10-11-12-13

    My second post from the Berlin Photowalk on May 12/13, which shows I need quite some time to process just one image. And what a hard one this was to process:
    I've made 12 versions of this, #13 was the final one and it drove me really nuts for the past few weeks.
    To give you some more facts:
    - I've created 30+ selections to treat each element in this photo separately with the right amount of tonal gradations, details and tonal contrasts
    - I've worked 60+ hours in total on this image (was it worth it? Hmmmm, you decide!)
    - 100+ layers and masks were used in the creation of this photo
    - I've cursed myself and this photo in 4 different languages - I still love Berlin and this building though!
    - I fell asleep behind my computer 3 times.
    - I'm uploading this photo while still being hospitalized in a local Asylum/madhouse/loony bin:)
    You see: I never give up!

    The thing that drove me mad in this image was the tonal balance between sky and building: I usually like a dark sky with bright streaks of clouds/light. That didn't work for this one if I wanted to put the emphasis on the lines of this building while at the same time ensuring that the tonal range in the building itself was predominantly on the right half of the histogram. So I decided to tone down the sky, remove the contrasts and make it more subtle. Another thing that drove me mad: the transition from light to dark in each of the layers of this building.

    Technical info:
    B+W ND110 & ND106 - 16 stops
    f/11
    ISO100
    17 mm
    420s (7m0sec) exposure
    Software:
    Lightroom 3.0
    PS CS5 - Silver Efex Pro 2
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    sursly, Michael Angelo 77, eakoscinska, Plínio Dondon, and 636 other people added this photo to their favorites.

    View 20 more comments

    1. Sof1a 9 months ago | reply

      Looks like stairs.
      Great angle and shot.

    2. zelnunes 8 months ago | reply

      inspiring!

    3. Dal Nunes 8 months ago | reply

      Fave na hora!
      Bravo!

    4. NickTrujillo 7 months ago | reply

      Wonderful image. I'd say it was well worth the effort!

    5. UrbanExposureCPL 7 months ago | reply

      Beautiful work !!

    6. Thomas_Sommer 6 months ago | reply

      Great composition in B&W!

    7. Tilted Replica * 6 months ago | reply

      Sir... I have to say, I love you.
      I dont know you but through your words I really feel the essence of your soul, its quirk, its light, its knowledge of the beauty of darkness.
      thank you for existing.

    8. Joel Tjintjelaar 6 months ago | reply

      Well thank you too! When someone thanks you for existing then that's the biggest compliment I could get, ever...

    9. fabiopronzato [deleted] 5 months ago | reply

      Great composition

    10. NIKONGERL / Please do not copy my images without p 3 months ago | reply

      I love your work! The blk n white kick butt!

    11. =SugaHoneyIceTea= 3 months ago | reply

      Very M. C. Escher-esque....

    12. Jo´seph 2 months ago | reply

      This is so amazing! Love it!

    13. fossiled 5 weeks ago | reply

      Extremely effective POV and composition. Stunning final image with wonderful processing

    14. Arsumigli aka Papi 2 weeks ago | reply

      Jeanneret says: "assembled in the light "... Yes, but the volumes, the architecture, would be nothing without shadows. Not forms. Only flat surfaces. I appreciate the light thanks the shadows that produces.
      Very good point of view and composition. Congrats for your architect-eye!

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