matthewmccoach

Diagonally

Victoria Street in Edinburgh, Scotland.

(Fun fact, this street was one of the inspirations for Harry Potter's "Diagon Alley!")...
Read more

Victoria Street in Edinburgh, Scotland.

(Fun fact, this street was one of the inspirations for Harry Potter's "Diagon Alley!")
Read less

Canon EOS 10D

settings

Aperture f/11 ISO 100 Shutter 1/20 Focal Length 28/1

location

Edinburgh, GB

upload_date

Jan, 2020

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Likes

Awards

Contender in the Photography Awards

Action Award

Achievement in Originality

Zenith Award

Top Pick Award

Staff Favorite

Halfway22 Award

Curator's Selection

Judge Favorite

Spring 21 Award

2020 Choice Award

Peer Award

Superb Composition

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

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Top 30 rank

Behind The Lens

Location

This was taken in Edinburgh, Scotland - Victoria Street to be specific. I don't get the chance to visit the city very often, so when I found myself with a few hours to kill during a day trip, I decided to just wander around with my camera for a while and take in the sights.

Time

I was in Edinburgh interviewing for a photography course at Napier University - it didn't go too great, so when I left the campus grounds feeling more than a little bit dejected, I decided to forgo the convenient bus journey back to the city centre and instead took a more scenic route on foot. There were a good couple of hours before I was due to meet up with some friends for a nice catch-up over some dinner, and after covering a fair bit of ground came to Victoria Street. Immediately recognising it as the street that Harry Potter's "Diagon Alley" was based on, I snapped this picture.

Lighting

It was an overcast day - typical for Scotland - so the natural lighting wasn't too harsh. The buildings on the street are quite tall, so as the road winds down, it delves a little darker, which I thought made for an interesting visual.

Equipment

Since I was travelling fairly light, all I had was my trusty second hand DSLR that I had gifted to me by a friend - A Canon EOS 10D, with its standard 28-80mm lens.

Inspiration

After my interview went... less well than anticipated, I figured the whole trip would have been a waste if I didn't at least get some nice photos of the beautiful city before I hopped on the bus back home. Luckily, I did, with this one being the highlight.

Editing

I almost always shoot in RAW, which is very useful for retaining the vibrant colours in a photo - like the buildings in this one. Besides that, this took a fairly small amount of processing, although I did add a vignette to the finished piece to really make the colours pop and add a little bit of mystery, in keeping with the street's magical fictionalisation.

In my camera bag

Very little - oftentimes I don't even have a bag! All I ever lug around is my camera strapped around my neck, and the one lens that it came with. Being a university student means I haven't exactly got the budget for top-end equipment - which used to get a little frustrating - but I've learned that it's more than possible to take amazing pictures no matter what your shooting with.

Feedback

If you ever find yourself somewhere you don't often go - or maybe won't again - explore for a bit, if your schedule allows it. Most of my favourite pictures I've taken have been of random buildings or architecture that capture my interest, and I've found almost all of them by just grabbing my camera, picking a direction, and walking until I find something.

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matthewmccoach

matthewmccoach

Diagonally

Victoria Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Fun fact, this street was one of the inspirations for Harry Potter's "Diagon Alley!")... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow matthewmccoach

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Victoria Street in Edinburgh, Scotland.

(Fun fact, this street was one of the inspirations for Harry Potter's "Diagon Alley!")...
Read more

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.