This is the bridge crossing the river Rhine in my hometown.
![[Image: Raiffeisenbruecke.jpg]](http://www.mst.cc/Images/Raiffeisenbruecke.jpg)
Would you clone out the streetlights? I made a quick and dirty attempt, but felt the image looked "empty" afterwards and also found the lights give a sense of size and proportion. So, I don't find them disturbing, but of course I'm a little biased <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> And I also know how the scene looks below the edge of the frame and sort of expect the lights to be there ...
-- Markus
I would remove them, the photo will be even more "graphic" then...
Michal
I would remove just the one on the right, because it breaks the image a little. The other one doesn't, and IMO adds to the photograph, breaking the stark lines D. Nice photograph BTW.
Kind regards, Wim
i'd leave as is - real is best for me (well, i do tweak the bokeh at times <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' />) - for me the street gives it life -
- a super shot m, thank you
... well there you three totally different answers, now that should help you make up your mind <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> ... might i place a bet on you going ahead and cloning out the street light on the left
[quote name='mst' timestamp='1317242207' post='11942']
Would you clone out the streetlights? I made a quick and dirty attempt, but felt the image looked "empty" afterwards and also found the lights give a sense of size and proportion. So, I don't find them disturbing, but of course I'm a little biased <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> And I also know how the scene looks below the edge of the frame and sort of expect the lights to be there ...
-- Markus
[/quote]
How about classic crop instead of a modern times clone?
J.
The first thing I did when I saw this, but before reading the comments, was to mentally crop out the lights... not sure if that's too boring without, but it also feels a little distracting with them in.
Thinking some more, they're too distracting I think. I can't help look at them, but they're not the main feature. So in that case I think I'd prefer a clone over a crop as I think the remaining balance is best as it is.
Thanks to all of you.
Here's the retouched version (also very slightly tilted to the right).
![[Image: Raiffeisenbruecke2s.jpg]](http://www.mst.cc/Images/Raiffeisenbruecke2s.jpg)
It certainly looks more graphic, as Michal suggested. But I still feel it lacks "life". Hmm...
I might give wim's suggestion a try later <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' />
-- Markus
[quote name='joachim' timestamp='1317249178' post='11951']
How about classic crop instead of a modern times clone?
J.
[/quote]
Yes, I thought about that, too. However, I prefer to keep a 3:2 ratio in my images and cropping would move the reflections in the upper ropes too much to the right edge of the frame IMO.
Apart from that, the image is already slightly cropped <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> The original frame showed a large part of the actual bridge (the road), too.
-- Markus
I think that having something at the bottom to anchor the composition may be helpful, but I don't think the street lights are what you want for that. I think I'd clone them out.
Very nice image. I think that it is a powerful image no matter if you leave it as is, clone out both, or just one. I think that cloning the left one and leaving the right one would also look good. So, the most important thing is to please yourself. Then, and only then, will the image be it's best.