Towers

Imaging towers can be challenging. They can stand out above foreground and background and make it difficult to get good 9-balance. Alcatraz, S.F.

Flag poles, similar to towers, can be challenging as well.  Getting a shot of an unfurled flag can be a test of one's will.  Patience and several shots are usually the cure. Alacatraz.

A different angle with that same tower and flag pole. Frame-cropping could have allowed me to image more of the tower's top and a bit less of the foreground. Alcatraz.

The water tower on Alcatraz before renovation.  I love the delapidated look...on just about anything.  This is a good pic of the tower...you have foreground, middleground (the fence), and the object, with good sky-balance.

Shooting from low to high can give a sense of grandeur (bigness). But towers stand out and can cause challenges with exposure with the other elements in the frame. Coit Tower, Telegraph Hill.

The Cathedral in NorthBeach.  The angle (low to high) allows the "grandeur" feel. Frame-cropping would have allowed me to capture more of the church's steeples, and less of the people and cars at the bottom.

An example of frame-cropping of The Cathedral. NorthBeach.

Statuary at NorthBeach.  This is an example where background can detract from the object due to lack of contrast.  The green in the trees is similar to the verdigris on the statue.

Frame-cropping just the base of that same statue. NorthBeach.

Statuary in Boulder, CO.  A straight-on side shot is usually unflattering.  In this case there is a good deal of background "noise" and some undesirable shadowing. Taking some time and moving around the object to experiment with angles can pay off.  Also, frame-cropping out the bottom to get more of the rack could have helped.