Here is a reverse angle across Guadalupe Street, also known as The Drag, with a great view of the University of Texas campus. I caught the iconic UT Tower during Blue Hour.

While this may be an acceptable shot documenting the area, I admit that it isn’t an incredibly compelling image. A few elements make it as good as it can be for this kind of photo. First, we have a blue hour, which adds striking color to an urban landscape, though I would prefer to see more warm lights to better contrast against the blue. I used the bike rack as a foreground element, creating depth—a defined foreground, midground, and background. Finally, the painted and colored street adds more dimension to a dull element.

On a technical level, the overblown UT Tower is disappointing. I could’ve unexposed more to attempt to retain the tower’s lit details. However, the small sensor on the Leica D-Lux 8 does impose limitations over an otherwise solid image-making device. Smaller sensors tend to lack dynamic range. With a full-frame sensor, I can more easily retain exposure detail throughout the entire range.

In the old days, I would resort to HDR, taking three pictures at different exposures and blending them in software to get around these limitations. That would require a tripod, which I didn’t have.

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