Magnificent Mosque: The Story Behind the Image

©Steven M. Richman

Shutterbug reader Steven M. Richman made this beautiful image of the Jama Masjid mosque in Delhi, India, this past December. Because it can be challenging to capture the entire mosque from within, he decided to focus on only part of it.

“I was looking to try to capture a framed image with someone in it,” Richman says, “but I actually got two people in it.” The image was taken late in the afternoon so in postproduction he used the Shadows slider in Lightroom to “bring out the detail in the arch.”

He admits that he generally works with both the Luminance and Saturation sliders color by color but not so much that the colors look artificial.

“These were actually the colors and by bringing out the detail, I captured this muted look,” Richman explains. “Sometimes when you use the shadow filter, or move the light filter to capture detail in the highlights, it can dull or deaden the color. Here, I was judicious and managed to get a soft, muted look which I liked.”

To obtain this subdued shot Richman used a Nikon D5300 and a Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC PZD lens at 18mm, ISO 100, f/5.6, and 1/125 second. He also used lens adjustment and straightening tools in post.

To view more of Richman’s images, be sure to visit his website, richmanphotoart.com.

Every month we feature an image in Final Shot from Shutterbug’s online Galleries on Shutterbug.com.

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