Hi James, A landscape format is keeping the longest side of the frame horizontal, whereas a portrait format only means keeping the longest side of the frame vertical, so all you have to do is turn your camera 90 degrees...
I agree, the background is a subjective matter. I think in this case, you don't need a background at all, as it doesn't add any information to the subject. It's what you did in Subterraneus #4... Only noticed it now.
Hugo, thanks for your comment. Can you explain to me what you mean by portrait format, or how to achieve it please? I'll try it just to see how the photo looks.
As for the darkness in the background, I wasn't actually aiming for that when I shot the photos, but once I saw the stark contrast between the bright colours and the darkness, I thought it had a good effect. That's all a matter of opinion though.
Unfortunately, I had to rush my photos here. As I mentioned in the notes on one of my other cave photos, I was alone and unless a tour group is in a particular section of the cave, the people who operate the cave like to turn the lights out in that section. I wasn't aware of this when I went in and was a bit disappointed when it happened. Also prevented me from leaving when I wanted as I couldn't see well enough to get out, until another group came along.
Hi James, Great shot, very well exposed. The lighting is fantastic. Very surreal. The landscape composition makes the image a bit static, though. Have you considered a portrait format, following the lines of the stalactites and/or a deliberate camera tilt? I think that would emphasise the tension a bit, and enable you to get rid of the pitch black background, which I find a tad distracting. Other than that, a very well exposed shot, with lots, and lots of high definition details.
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