Joseph J Zaia, FPSA, PPSA, ASIIPC, FMC  


When Two is Better Than One by Joseph J Zaia, FPSA, PPSA, ASIIPC, FMC

March 2019 - When Two is Better Than One

March 2019 - Joseph J Zaia, FPSA, PPSA, ASIIPC, FMC

Original 1

March 2019 - Joseph J Zaia, FPSA, PPSA, ASIIPC, FMC

Original 2

About the Image(s)

While by the Cathedral of Florence, even with the wide angle lens, it was difficult to capture this angle and the tourists, so I decided to take two images and then Photo-merge them in PS. The Photo-merge was no problem. I removed the distractions and cleaned the right bottom corner. I then tried to correct the Perspective and although it helped some, it was kind of crushing the entire image, so I settled for this result.


This round’s discussion is now closed!
11 comments posted




Mike Patterson   Mike Patterson
Great job and innovative way to capture such a tall building. I did notice that the two smaller buildings on the right and left have some perspective issues. Maybe you can do a bit more processing and straighten them up.   Posted: 03/10/2019 16:43:32



Jerry Biddlecom   Jerry Biddlecom
A really good job with the photo merge. If the subject has to be right in the middle, at least there is some asymmetry provided by the dome on the right and the attached building on the left. What would happen if you moved the left side in and eliminated the small building on the left and that part of the sky?   Posted: 03/10/2019 18:18:22



Joseph J Zaia   Joseph J Zaia
Okay, Mike and Jerry, following your idea, I redid my image and this is what I decided on, without getting the image to distorted. Thank you.   Posted: 03/11/2019 15:44:47
Comment Image
Jerry Biddlecom   Jerry Biddlecom
Very dramatic triangle!   Posted: 03/11/2019 17:26:05



Peggy Reeder   Peggy Reeder
Wow - I really like your revised version Joe. It's amazing how removing the building on the left focuses the attention on the cathedral buildings. This is a very sharp image with lots of detail, and I love that angle looking right at the corner of the tower. Much more interesting than if the buildings were perfectly straight, or had you shot from the side. Well done!   Posted: 03/12/2019 11:32:20



Marti Buckely   Marti Buckely
I like the re-work. It leaves a little more sky at the top and the correction is good. Hard to photograph something that big and tall. Horizontal shots are the best for a vertical pano. Perhaps a couple more? What lens did you use for these?   Posted: 03/12/2019 12:26:42
Joseph J Zaia   Joseph J Zaia
Marti, the lens was a Canon 10-22mm on a Canon 50D camera.

Thank you everyone.   Posted: 03/12/2019 18:12:33
Marti Buckely   Marti Buckely
That would explain the distortion. Wonder what it would have looked like with a 50mm or longer and a series of horizontal images.   Posted: 03/13/2019 11:08:08



Stephen Levitas   Stephen Levitas
(Group 32)
I want to point out that "perspective correction" is not always desirable. The perspective of looking up at a tall building is the same in the camera as in your eye. If you look at the base of this building, let's say it subtends 60 degrees of your view, and since the top is further away it subtends 30 degrees of your view. So, you get in the image what you actually see: a wider base and a narrower top. This works very well if you want to express the soaring nature of a tall building. If you are selling real estate, however, you may choose to "correct" the perspective because viewers are more comfortable with parallel vertical lines in the image. Just as you are not bothered by the left and right perspectives going out to vanishing points, so does the vertical perspective go out to a vanishing point. The building is not leaning back, it is diminishing to a vertical vanishing point. Too much perspective correction will render the building into an unnatural point of view, as if you are shooting from a point in mid-air halfway into the sky, opposite the middle level of the building.   Posted: 03/27/2019 20:43:19



Kaylyn Franks   Kaylyn Franks
I like the revised version best. I feel like I am standing directly below the building. A couple other options are to use a tilt shift lens or a multi row pano rail to shoot multiple sections and then stitch together. The comments Stephen offered leave me with a different perspective of shooting and processing tall buildings.   Posted: 03/28/2019 09:48:41



Al Swanson   Al Swanson
Absolutely! The revised image is a great improvement. You did a super job on the photo merge and brought this building into real perspective.   Posted: 03/28/2019 20:30:15