Not your Typical Arch Window

Image Critiques Everything Else Critiques
1

Inside:

Not a Typical Box Window
Not a Typical Box Window2393×3500 2.53 MB

Outside: (Just a snap shot really, the real story is the inside IMHO).

5 - Biltmore House 2022 - Corner Window
5 - Biltmore House 2022 - Corner Window1750×1739 948 KB

This is yet another micro scene showing the level of details they put into the construction of the Biltmore House in the late 1800s.

Note: The inside shot was taken with an ISO of 12,800 since the window blinds were closed, they always try to keep the inside of the house as dark as they reasonably can to prevent bleaching of the woodwork and upholstery.
Flash photography is strictly forbidden inside!

I really liked the old growth red oak raised panel side walls topped with the round ring style crown, then transitioning to the fence pattern wallpaper border, then crowned again with the diamond inlaid strip topped with the hand made dental mold with the green BG, then onto the stucco style paneled arch with the large diameter hand made rope combing,
It’s a bit much for my taste but knowing how much work is involved in creating something like this makes me appreciate it.

The second image is the outside of the same window, so, this is an “Inside / Outside” view.

Isn’t the sculpture at the left of the window on the outside the cutest little disjointed “Devil Corbel” you ever saw?
OK, that was lame, but there were a lot of demon themed sculptures scattered around the outside of the house for some reason, nobody that I asked seemed to know the story behind it.

Specific Feedback Requested

Any comments are appreciated.
It’s not a nature image so specific feedback is too much to ask for here.

I will say this though, shooting architectural stuff really helped me to be a better photographer because it forced me to be more deliberate with my compositions, especially with 35mm film as it was back in those days.
I started out shooting architectural since I wanted to document my own work as a builder when I was building high end homes, commercial shopping centers, and industrial complexes.

Technical Details

A7R IV, 90mm Macro, 1/125s, f8, ISO 12,800 (twelve thousand, eight hundred), Topaz of course :slight_smile: It really was a under lit because the window blinds were closed.

Thanks for looking :slight_smile:

2

Wow, Topaz really cleaned it up nicely, Merv. The inside shot is really striking and does indeed highlight the architecture. The lighting is actually quite nice and luminescent. There’s a lot of intricate woodwork to admire and explore in the larger view. Thanks for sharing this, Merv.

3

I missed these photos of yours earlier Merv. Am not used to looking in the non-nature section but obviously will have to check it out more often.
I have previously done quite a bit of photography inside churches, so the first of your images here resonates with me even though it isn’t a church. The detail and textures you’ve captured are wonderful, particularly with the darker woodwork and the twisted rope-covered something(?). I also have an appreciation for the work that went into many of these older buildings.
Seems that the level of detail you say was put into the construction of the building is matched with that you have captured here quite nicely (i.e. you keep making me desire that Sony FF every time I put it out of my mind…just).
Cheers

4

I completely agree, David
I’ve managed to get pretty good results from ISOs as high as 32,000, but 64,000 (just one stop up from 32,000) seems to be pushing it too far.
I don’t really like to bring attention to any specific gear but in this case it seems appropriate, the Sony A7R IV camera seems to handle very high ISO values much better than my Sony a6000 or my Sony a6500.
I’ve taken some really high quality images with my a6000 & a6500 but they just can’t handle high ISO values, the dynamic range is just too low and the sensors aren’t near as good as the A7R IV.
And of course, not having completely shaded or completely dark areas in the image is a must at those high ISO values, the other thing is sharpness, if parts of the image are even a little OOF, Topaz does some weird things with it, parts of it can turn out looking like smooth plastic and not in a good way.
Having said that, Topaz does do a pretty good job at ISO 8000 or so from my a6500 as long as the image doesn’t have any really dark areas and if everything is in sharp focus.

Thank you for the detailed response, I’m glad you enjoyed the images! :slight_smile:

Wow, I hadn’t thought of photographing churches but I bet it would be a great experience, especially some of the Grand Cathedrals in Europe.
I did get a few shots outside of a cathedral in Gothenburg a couple of year ago but the main subject was people, and the best camera I had at that time was my Sony a6500 and the inside of the cathedral was pretty dark… and… I didn’t know anything about Topaz or similar noise reduction software back then.

Sorry about that.
I had to sell some of the construction equipment that I no longer use to be able to afford the upgrade, it was like trading my backhoe trailer and dump trailer for a camera and a couple of lenses.
But it was a good trade IMHO.

Thanks for the detailed response, and I’m glad you enjoyed the images! :slight_smile: