[stepheno]

This is the new Selfridges building at the Bullring in Birmingham. Thought it looked a little surreal but I would like to here any critique or comments, on composition particularly. TFL.

[P-E]

Thats a cool shot stepheno........it makes my eyes go funny.

[Markulous]

Definitely one of the best I've seen of that building - lovely abstract quality.

Think I'd be tempted to dodge just a hint more detail in the dark underneath

[Dabhand16]

Glad you said what it was! It looks like two images, a macro/close up of the texture with the other feature overlaid.

The pureist will argue for the entrance(?) to be on the third, but It works for me. The area of more contrast in the texture is balanced by the feature in the bottom corner.

I don't know the location, or what was just out of shot, so I could not offer anything more on the composition. If it was a crop, maybe seeing the whole thing would be useful.

[skipper954]

My first thought was that the entrance should be at the third. Could you try it?

On the other hand, there may not be the pattern to the left of the entrance. And the white space at the left of the entrance is a bit off putting.

I really enjoy the light and shadows on the rest of the building. Good job.

skip

[fionaB]

as a building i think its absolutely AWFUL!........great pic of it tho! lol
maybe i am biased as my taste in architecture runs to the old and ruined that have a history and atmosphere..... this type of building turns my stomach! lol

Fiona

[stepheno]

Originally Posted by Dabhand16

I don't know the location, or what was just out of shot, so I could not offer anything more on the composition. If it was a crop, maybe seeing the whole thing would be useful.

The shot is not cropped and to give you an idea of "out of shot" here it is -

[skipper954]

Acccccccckkkkkkkkkkk. Fi is correct. The building is awful, the shot was great, and you couldn't have cropped it any differently.

[stepheno]

Point missed, the first shot is not a crop, that's how I took it

[Sonsey]

Yep, interesting (but ugly) building, but very well captured especially as you've caught the undulations (is that a word ) well.

It almost looks like a macro shot of one of those pin things you could make a mould of your face with that you could get in the 80's, anyone remember them!

[Rob Barron]

Is that not the Selfridges building in Birmingham? If it isn't, it must have been made by the same designer. I entirely agree it is ugly as sin and the architect should have been shot at dawn after having each toe nail pulled out one by one followed by his teeth!

As you can probably guess, I don't go a bundle on modern architecture destroying the aesthetic beauty of a lot of our towns... what the hell is that damned Gerkhin building all about in london? Flipping awful stuck there amidst the centuries of great architecture like the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and so forth.

Anyway, get down off my high horse, the pic is fine. Nice work by Mark here. I think I would just accentuate the curves of the building by judicious dodging and burning with a very large and soft brush. I have done a very quick effort here but to be honest I can't tell if it is better or not as I think the damned building is ugly anyway LOL.

I can only imagine that the Selfridges Board of directors gave the designers the one remit: 'Just make it as different as you can get from the elegance and style that people normally associate with Selfridges!'

One things for sure, Stepheno, you're way better at taking attractive pictures than that lot are at designing attractive buildings! :o)

Cheers,
Rob

[stepheno]

Thanks for your input Rob, it does increase the 3D