Cooper Residence

[Red Rover]

I finally got my D7000 and 17-55 f/2.8 back from the Nikon repair center near me. I was up at 5:15 to drive 20 minutes to the Cooper Residence in the agricultural area called the Redland of South Miami-Dade County. I believe this is the barn but the property is private and this is all that is visible from the street. I have wanted to shoot it for a while just to experiment with architectural photography.
Heavy cloud cover kept the light very flat, but after almost two hours I spotted a hole in the cloud cover to the east. I waited patiently while the wind blew the clouds and the hole moved to a point directly between the sun and my subject, and got about a minute of sweet sunlight.
I really enjoyed shooting with a tripod and being able to stand back and watch the light, the clouds, and still maintain the composition I wanted. I also learned to observe more, shoot less, anticipate, and be patient. I haven't used the tripod much in the past.
Here is my processed version and I can say I have a lot to learn about LR 4, but it seems pretty intuitive.

Nikon D7000
Aperture Priority
ISO 200
1/200 second
f/11
Nikon 17-55 mm @ 17 mm
White Balance Auto
Looking at this now I can see that I need to try and bring more detail out in the limestone.
What other processing changes would you recommend?
Also, would you shoot it differently than the exif data I posted?

 

[Rick M]

With those clouds HDR would have been nice and brought out more detail in the doors. Clouds really helped here with a more even exposure and give a nice backdrop for the tree and roof lines. I've learned that clouds/overcast is actually better than a nice sunny clear day in most cases, harsh sun can do more damage than good.

 

[fotojack]

Nice shot. I would have used F8 and 1/60th shutter speed and 100 ISO. Clouds are actually better for outdoor shooting, as they provide a natural diffusion. You have a nice composition there.........nice job all around.

 

[Red Rover]

Thanks Rick. I thought about HDR for this shot but the camera is new to me and I couldn't figure out the settings in the minute I had when the sun actually lit the building. I need to learn this camera a little better.

 

[Red Rover]

Thanks fotojack. I actually shot it at 5.6 and 8 as well, but liked the light best on this one at f 11. I have received a lot of advice about shooting at f 8with the 17-55 and will heed that the next time I go out.

 

[unkyjohn]

Hi All

I would like to look at the exif data - how do I do that?