Louvre Staircase
Black and White HDR Fisheye image of a staircase at the Louvre Museum
Black and White HDR Fisheye image of a staircase at the Louvre Museum
Read less
Read less
Dec, 2018Views
1677
Likes
Awards
Top Shot Award 22
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Volume 1
Contest Finalist in Monthly Pro Photo Contest Vol 47
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Emotions
Impressed
Top Ranks
Top 30 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Top 20 rank
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken on a trip to Paris a few years ago, while I spent a day at The Louvre. Walking through the museum it was busy and packed to the gills as I expected. What I didn't expect was finding this corner staircase completely empty and without a soul in sight. I quickly grabbed my camera (Nikon D610 at the time) and swapped in my Sigma 15mm fisheye lens and grabbed a bunch of brackets as the lighting was challenging. I managed to get three or four that were good to keep before what seemed like a busload of tourists finally filled the empty space proving that Nature (and tourist attractions) abhors a vacuum.Time
This was late morning, early afternoon just after grabbing a bite to eat at one of the cafesLighting
Wow, the lighting was a bit of a challenge - the sun was streaming in from windows off camera to the left, as well as strong sunlight through the ceiling windows. Getting the moody contrast I was looking for took a heck of a lot of playing around - probably looking more than a bit foolish - but well worth the odd looks I would have gotten if anyone had been there ;)Equipment
I had my old travel kit with me on this trip consisting of a Nikon D610, Sigma 15mm Fisheye (used for this photo) a Sigma 12-24mm and a Tamron telephoto lens. For a tripod, as museums restrict using them, I picked up a Platypod platform I could lay down on the ground and still get great stability for HDR images. It really was one of the best bits of equipment I've found as I shoot a lot of architecture in places where tripods are not allowed.Inspiration
Solitude. I was simply astounded that I found a spot at the Louvre that was empty, quiet and had really great lines and angles to play with. I love the way the fisheye lens plays with the arches and angles of the ceiling and staircase, including the extra contrast from the harsh lightEditing
So to pull the curtains back and talk about the work that went into this image... I had three workable brackets to process using Aurora HDR, but unfortunately what I originally conceived of doing with the image simply did not work by any stretch of the imagination. It was turning out to be a horrible image, so I put it away for a while and nearly forgot about it. Fast forward a few months, ok almost a year, and I came across the brackets again and decided to change gears. I did the HDR Processing in Aurora HDR again, but to exaggerate the contrast and lines this time. Once I got that where I wanted it, albeit completely over saturated and oddly toned, I used On1 Photo Raw to process the image into a black and white HDR Escher-esque image.In my camera bag
Today my kit has morphed completely from when this photo was taken. Currently I have a Sony A7Rii body and I always have a Sony/Zeiss 24-70mm lens as a walk around lens and keep a Sony f/1.8 85mm lens, a Laowa 15mm f/2 and depending on where I am shooting either my old Nikon 15mm fisheye and a Metabones adapter and/or a Sony 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 G OSS lens. The Sony really is a battery hog, so I keep a couple spares and a charger, an EYELead sensor gel stick to remove the ever present dust from the sensor, lens wipes, and a tripod or platypod. Not exactly the lightest kit to lug around, but I wont be climbing Everest so I like to be prepared ... Oh! I also keep an eReader with me for when I am waiting for a shot.Feedback
PATIENCE I got lucky this time, both with the lack of crowd and with coming back to the images later, after frustration, to give them another go. Usually I am camping out at a location in the street or inside a building waiting, waiting and waiting more to get a clear shot (which is why I have a kindle in my kit - gives me something to read while sitting around waiting so I don't cause too much suspicion for loitering around. Also, don't be afraid to make mistakes, just remember to keep backups !
