30 Floors Upby
debcardComment by SharQ: Pictures like this one are incredibly difficult for very many reasons; For one thing, because of the perspective, get a building that is very cartoon-like (narrow at the bottom and wide at the top). This is usually a sin in architectural photography - at least if it does not look as if it is supposed to be that way. So your choices are to over-do the effect (practically impossible, because you cannot walk closer to that building) or try to counter it. Countering something like this can only be done with a Tilt and Shift lens (I wrote an article about these lenses, which you can find
here), but these lenses are ridiculously expensive, and only work on SLR cameras. It is possible - to a certain degree - to correct the problem in Photoshop (but that would get your image disqualified, because I believe it probably breaks a few rules)
Barring this problem, you have a good chance at improving this image by going for a tighter crop. Get rid of that tall white bouilding to the left of the image, and you are well on your way.
The most important problem with this picture is the reflection in the window, though; I can see sheets of paper(?) and the reflection of what I think is the photographer. Neither of which pull the image in the right direction. There is a good trick you can use to get rid of these reflections though:
1 - Open the window. (probably illegal and impossible in skyscrapers, so a bad idea)
2 - Put your camera to the window. This means that your WHOLE lens front needs to TOUCH the lens. Barring the reflections from the double (or even triple) pane window, it should rid you of 97% of the reflections.
3 - Building a black box. The black box sounds high-tech, but isn't. Get a circle of black filt (or other non-reflexive textile) , and make a hole in it for your camera lens. Tape the textile to the window, and you have your own little black box. Because your lens is "touching the window" (by proxy, because of the filt), the reflections should completely disappear.
Finally, you might want to up the contrast a little bit (read a guide about that
here)
I hope some of these tips will help you for further pictures out of your office window. Good luck!
Haje
