Macy's Flower Show Shop Windows

[rutt]

Considering this reflection shot for FM WA "City Life". Whip away, please.

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/140510208-L.jpg

[Gary Glass]

There are several things to appreciate about this shot. Window reflection shots are often about thematic mirroring, and you have some of that going on here. The window subjects are well-lit and colorful, but the reflected subjects are muted. The mannequin's strongly patterned dress emphasizes this contrast. All the beauty is inside the store, not out here in the real world where the viewer stands. The irony is that that beauty is ugly. The mannequin is ugly, utterly inhuman looking. The fake dog, for all its stiffness, looks more lifelike than the fake human. (The dog is nicely captured at a moment between the reflections of passersby.) The fashionable mannequin contrasts with the drab practical clothing of the real reflected people, who are carrying their fashions in bags, rather than wearing them. I like the way reflection of the woman on the cell is caught between the mannequin's legs. I like the way nobody is looking at anything -- the shoppers aren't looking into the shop, the mannequins aren't looking out. It's as if they are both on display for each other, and both failing to acknowledge the fact. Only the stuffed dog seems to be at all engaged with what is going on -- only the fake dog, and, of course, we the viewers.

Minor nit: I feel that I want a little more "pop", a little more boldness. Maybe a little more contrast. Can't quite put my finger on it.

[pathfinder]

Gary has done a great discussion of this image, and I agree with most of it. Lovely series of contrasts.

One thing I think can be improved is the white/brighter area of sky, particularly on the upper left - this is a rather subtle/ lower contrast image - except for the light on the mannequin - and the sky/ bright area competes for my attention a little - darken the sky a bit maybe, it adds nothing really to the image:dunno

I might suggest just a little more contrast to the shoppers also - this post is based on my monitor at the office, which has a lesser contrast range than my calibrated monitors at home so take this with a grain of salt too.

Good luck, John!

[DoctorIt]

I'll leave the highly technical stuff to the big boys, but I am getting almost confused with this image. There is a lot, I'll say again, a lot of reflection. I get lost trying to figure out what is inside or outside... the mannequin is almost secondary, I barely notice it when inspecting the image.

dunno if that helps, its not really fixable via editing, just my take.

[DavidTO]

Rutt,

I think this shot is helped by going more extreme with the contrast. I didn't even notice the cell phone until it was mentioned, and the feeling of being lost that Doc mentions--it's not as difficult an image to read if you bump the contrast. I think that also helps to make the mannequin seem more alien and non-human, since it hits her most.

I took a stab at it in curves by grabbing values from the cell phone woman's face, the darker and lighter values and putting an S curve on it. All the reflections popped out more, and I found the shot more interesting. I think that it requires a bold move in post.

[rutt]

As you might imagine, I took quite a few pictures of these windows. [Prize for the first person who figures out exactly why.] I liked this image especially for exactly the reason you give: it integrates worlds inside the windows and outside on the street. To me it looks like the mannequins and dog are a part of the street scene. I have lots of shots where the distinction is clearer, but this one has the balance I was looking for.

But that's what the whipping post is for. We don't see the same things in our shots that others do.

I'll leave the highly technical stuff to the big boys, but I am getting almost confused with this image. There is a lot, I'll say again, a lot of reflection. I get lost trying to figure out what is inside or outside... the mannequin is almost secondary, I barely notice it when inspecting the image.

dunno if that helps, its not really fixable via editing, just my take.

[rutt]

Thanks, David! I thought I did that, but sometimes it's hard to be bold enough with this sort of thing. I did blend the blue into a luminosity blended layer to get more reflection but perhaps I should have curved/sharpened it that point as well? I think you are right that it needs more pop and better balance between reflection and interior.

Rutt,

I think this shot is helped by going more extreme with the contrast. I didn't even notice the cell phone until it was mentioned, and the feeling of being lost that Doc mentions--it's not as difficult an image to read if you bump the contrast. I think that also helps to make the mannequin seem more alien and non-human, since it hits her most.

I took a stab at it in curves by grabbing values from the cell phone woman's face, the darker and lighter values and putting an S curve on it. All the reflections popped out more, and I found the shot more interesting. I think that it requires a bold move in post.

[DavidTO]

Thanks, David! I thought I did that, but sometimes it's hard to be bold enough with this sort of thing. I did blend the blue into a luminosity blended layer to get more reflection but perhaps I should have curved/sharpened it that point as well? I think you are right that it needs more pop and better balance between reflection and interior.


Yes, and I would do curves with selection masks for the different regions. I know you're not a fan of that, but in this case I think it would serve you well. And I would really go for BOLD, not realistic. I don't mean fakey, but really bold.

[rutt]

Thanks, guys. I think it was great advice. See what I did. (http://www.dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=521210&postcount=107)

But, still nobody has won the prize by answering the question of why I took so many shots of these windows. I mean it.

[Gary Glass]

But, still nobody has won the prize by answering the question of why I took so many shots of these windows. I mean it.

Because the dog wouldn't hold still.

[rutt]

Because the dog wouldn't hold still.

Here is a clue: the dog is very very still.

[rutt]

OK OK, I'm bad at this. Google my sister Kathy Ruttenberg.

Nobody wins the prize.

[DavidTO]

OK OK, I'm bad at this. Google my sister Kathy Ruttenberg.

Nobody wins the prize.


Unless the prize is that 1D you have for sale.... :dunno


:D

[rutt]

Unless the prize is that 1D you have for sale.... :dunno


:D

Jeez, I didn't think I'd have to connect the dots. But here goes. Kathy Ruttenberg, is an artist and in particular she makes ceramic sculptures (though she also paints, draws, &etc.)

Her work is now on display in the windows of Macy's in NYC on 34th St and 7th Ave. These windows are part of Macy's "Spring Flower Show" which opened Sunday. Kathy's sculpture is featured, but she also painted the faces on the mannequins, and made lots of other background elements. The little dog in my shot is actually a part of one of her pieces. So it was funny that Gary picked it up as seeming "engaged".

Here is Kathy's web page. (http://www.kathyruttenberg.com/)

If you are in the neighborhood, take a look. The windows are a hoot.

http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/141086351-M.jpg

The cat, not the artist is the serial killer in question here.

[David, please excuse the shameless plug for my sister's show here. Thanks a million.]

[Mike02]

ehh, not crazy for the outdoor wb, but nice shot anyway.

[rutt]

ehh, not crazy for the outdoor wb, but nice shot anyway.

Good point about the mixed casts. I'm going to play with it. Thanks!

[rutt]

ehh, not crazy for the outdoor wb, but nice shot anyway.

That was very good advice. I don't know how I could have missed that mixed lighting cast. My FM WA entry addresses this issue. I don't know if the WP rules will allow me to post that version in the B&A thread now that I have already posted an after version. But that blue sidewalk was a dead giveaway and it is embarrassing I missed it.

I did struggle for a little bit (but only a little bit) with the concept that because it is a reflection it should retain it's cast. But I don't really think that's how our visual system work. If we focus on the sidewalk, even reflected in the window, we'll remove the cast. At least I think so.

But it's interesting how often this issue arises with window shots, eh?

Thanks again.

[DavidTO]

Rutt, I thought the same thing about maybe keeping the different casts. Glad you decided it was a bad idea. Go ahead and replace your after, if you wish. :thumb

[rutt]

Done. See it here (http://dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=521210&postcount=107).

Rutt, I thought the same thing about maybe keeping the different casts. Glad you decided it was a bad idea. Go ahead and replace your after, if you wish. :thumb