Rizwan Choudhry
March 2025 - Dambulla Cave Temples
About the Image(s)
The Dambulla Cave Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sri Lanka,
date back to the 1st century BC. During the recent PSA Photo
Gathering, our group had the opportunity to visit this remarkable
site. The temples are carved into caves, where the lighting is
naturally dim, with only certain sections illuminated. I captured this
image using a tripod and an ultra-wide-angle lens, with settings at
ISO 100, f/11, and a 15-second exposure. Due to the limited time we
had inside the caves, I’m not entirely satisfied with my shots,
especially after seeing some stunning images taken by others. I
focused on capturing the intricate details of the cave roof and later
enhanced the image in Lightroom. What do you think of the result?
This round’s discussion is now closed!
7 comments posted
The overall photo is stunning and captures attention. The composition is stunning to me. My only comment is the whites appear to be a touch blown out as some detail is lost on the statures and in front of the monks. But it was this push that provided the vibrant colors on the ceiling. Perhaps an exposure bracketed image woud have yielded a different result. You are hanging with a tough group and perhaps some one would be willing to tell you hown their photos were captured.
I like the image and find it very beautiful. Kudos from my side of the pond! Posted: 03/06/2025 20:14:54
I like the image and find it very beautiful. Kudos from my side of the pond! Posted: 03/06/2025 20:14:54
Rizwan, wow what an amazing place and interesting image. I like your composition. The blend of colors and the human and statues in different dimensions are quite amazing overall. I agree with Richard that the statues on the right are the ones that suffer most by the exposure. Posted: 03/17/2025 08:47:49
Before I read the others' comments I took the jpeg into CR and tried to work the contrast. I think you actually have the detail in your bright areas, and need to bring the highlights down starting with the original RAW file. My version has only subtle changes, but I was starting with a low res file and then had to further compress it to make it fit under 1M.
Lillain Posted: 03/17/2025 20:13:34
Lillain Posted: 03/17/2025 20:13:34
(Group 3)
I immediately recognised Dambulla temple, your wide view shows much more scale than images I took (with film) way back in 2003! An excellent PT image. Posted: 03/25/2025 07:03:35
Thank you for your kind words! It's wonderful to hear from someone who has visited this remarkable site before. The Dambulla Cave Temple truly is breathtaking in scale - I'm glad the wide-angle perspective helped capture that grandeur. How interesting that you photographed it on film back in 2003! The temple must have been just as impressive then, though I imagine the surroundings have evolved somewhat over two decades. Posted: 03/27/2025 18:13:41
(Group 3)
Here is the result of scanning my (6X6) transparency to create a digital image, I was in the lower right side corner of your composition and there was no barrier in those days. Posted: 03/28/2025 05:26:49
Thank you everyone for the kind words and great tips. Reducing highlights fromt he bright areas really helped. Posted: 03/27/2025 18:12:03