Where's my vertical?! by judithg

Where's my vertical?!

First of all I have to say an ENORMOUS thank you to everybody who has commented, followed and faved over the last couple of days. It really has been overwhelming (in a good way) and I'm trying to catch up with everybody as soon as I can.

Well @jannaellen certainly brought some great weather with her! We had a lovely wander through some Cambridge colleges this morning and King's actually let us in through the front gate so we got some classic views. At this point I was saying that the only photographic 'mistake' that irritates me is not being straight....
So - completely SOOC including 'unstraightened' as I'm not sure which bit should be straight!
It's cool... Nice perspective!
April 11th, 2011  
very good sooc Judith. I do have the same kind of problem... where's the vertical? I guess it's perfectely in the middle of the pict on the main tower so it's the way it's suppose to be!
April 11th, 2011  
Wow, it must be an illusion, but how extraordinary!!
April 11th, 2011  
I actually like how cameras bend perspectives - it makes everything look higher and in some way cooler. I love your angle in that one!
April 11th, 2011  
Really beautiful, great shot!
April 11th, 2011  
It's a lovely shot - and it's doing what a 17mm focal length does :-D
April 11th, 2011  
Beautiful! Great angle and I love the lines everywhere, including on the lawn. At 17 mm it's impossible to have all straight It's best as it is, because the "tower" that is the most in the centre of the picture is straight!
April 11th, 2011  
Love this despite the converging verticals. Actually they contribute to the focus of the shot... Well captured.
April 11th, 2011  
@ellida @scatcat Blimey - if I need a new lens to fix it it will have to stay converging! Which lens cures it (just hypothetically!) - wide angle?? Thanks for your photographic knowledge!
April 11th, 2011  
@judithg I might be wrong but I don't think you can avoid it with a wide angle. As long as you don't point horizontally, you will get convergent vertical lines, and the wider angle you use the more it is pronounced. I knew how to explain it in optical terms some time ago, but now I forgot about it :-(
April 11th, 2011  
But I don't think this optical effect is an issue, it adds to the perspective, volumes, etc. Without it, the buildings would probably look "flat"
April 11th, 2011  
@scatcat Ah - I see what you mean re wide angle - and actually it doesn't bother me either - so long as I've chosen the right bit to line up! Thanks for the feedback!
April 11th, 2011  
I like it just the way it is.
April 11th, 2011  
Lol, that's recognisable - not having a vertical in your shot and wondering whether to try and create one or not. Usually I don't :)
Wonderful shot, amazing architecture.
April 11th, 2011  
makes me feel short!!!
April 11th, 2011  
fab shot !
April 11th, 2011  
One has to make allowances for those demon Chardonnay bubbles,amazing how many lines they can bend...never the less, nice shot luv the included lamp
April 11th, 2011  
I love Kings - my sister went to college there, and I have spent many happy weekend in the rooms and grounds. Great shot - such a great place in the sunshine! and there are so many uprights in this courtyard, there'll always be one that's leaning!!!!
April 11th, 2011  
@judithg It's not a new lens thing Judith, just zoom in a tiny bit to amend the field of view.
April 11th, 2011  
Judith the converging verticals doesn't bother me , it's a classic view, shot in lovely lighting.

The previous posters have identified you get a few optical effects when on wide angles, but pointing the camera slightly upwards exaggerates the effect too, so keeping the camera level helps avoid converging verticals too.
April 11th, 2011  
@ellida Oh - I'll enjoy having a play with that - plenty of verticals around to test. Thanks and hope you're enjoying your travels!
April 11th, 2011  
@phil_howcroft Thanks Phil - I can feel a return visit coming on. Last time I was in this court there was a man with a very tall tripod - I'm beginning to understand what he was up to. I quite fancy doing the opposite and exaggerating the effect too - endless possibilities!!
April 11th, 2011  
Wow, so much great information in these comments. Very interesting photo!
April 11th, 2011  
I agree with Jen about the good info in these comments regarding lenses and vertical points. Excellent shot
April 12th, 2011  
very cool shot, I think the vignetting is from your wide angle. I like it though :)
April 12th, 2011  
I think it looks good the way it is. :) Lots of good information here as others have said.
April 12th, 2011  
What a great town to live in - love this architecture and the simple colours.
April 13th, 2011  
Very ncie. I agree with Phil. It is a nice effect.
April 16th, 2011  
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