Geary

Nmahooch · August 1, 2011

nice shot

rainbow · August 4, 2011

Nmahooch wrote: »

nice shot

Thank you!

bfjr · August 4, 2011

I like and I don't

My brain wants the background darker and the foreground to be brighter or something to that effect.

It also maybe that theres so much going on I can't focus on the whole, Make sense

Richard · August 4, 2011

Really nice shot, Rainbow. My first response was similar to Ben's but on second viewing, I think the washed out background helps the viewer focus on the most important parts--the street people of Union Square and the tourists on the cable car. There is a lot going on, but for me that makes it more interesting. If the background were darker, I think it might get too busy. The Saks sign makes a nice juxtaposition to the street people. Good work.

rainbow · August 4, 2011

bfjr wrote: »

I like and I don't

My brain wants the background darker and the foreground to be brighter or something to that effect.

It also maybe that theres so much going on I can't focus on the whole, Make sense

You nailed the struggle that I had in presenting this shot. I appreciate your thoughts as I was curious as to the response to the lightened background that I went with.

Richard's comments really nail the thinking that I had in presenting this as the final version to post.

Richard wrote: »

Really nice shot, Rainbow. My first response was similar to Ben's but on second viewing, I think the washed out background helps the viewer focus on the most important parts--the street people of Union Square and the tourists on the cable car. There is a lot going on, but for me that makes it more interesting. If the background were darker, I think it might get too busy. The Saks sign makes a nice juxtaposition to the street people. Good work.

Thanks for the thought that went into your assessment. Ironically, this was taken as I was walking from BART to the "Photoshop and You" workshop (free!) on Lightroom 3 processing that Adobe was sponsoring two blocks away.

I had played with the background and found it distracting with darkening and recovered highlights. Also, the Saks Fifth Ave sign became too prominent for my taste.

BTW, neatest tip from workshop (with Seth Resnick) on LR3 was utilizing the "ALT" key with the recovery and black slider. Try it and be pleasantly surprised at the usefulness of these combinations.

Juano · August 4, 2011

Richard wrote: »

Really nice shot, Rainbow. My first response was similar to Ben's but on second viewing, I think the washed out background helps the viewer focus on the most important parts--the street people of Union Square and the tourists on the cable car. There is a lot going on, but for me that makes it more interesting. If the background were darker, I think it might get too busy. The Saks sign makes a nice juxtaposition to the street people. Good work.

I like it, but have the same issues as others. Maybe if you brightened the people just a tad?

rainbow · August 4, 2011

Juano wrote: »

I like it, but have the same issues as others. Maybe if you brightened the people just a tad?

I have gone as far with the brightening of the close people as they are sitting in shade while the background is sunlit. Even then, I am one that leans toward darker/grayer on people than many people I encounter here.

Thanks for the input.

lizzard_nyc · August 4, 2011

My eye immediately went to the people on the floor and their interactions and great body language. Then I zoomed in on the guy lighting his cig giving you a look. Then I got into the background.

This shot has some serious layers and they work well together, topped by the barely seen Saks Fifth Ave sign that's kind of tertiary but ties everything in nicely--seriously well done.

rainbow · August 5, 2011

lizzard_nyc wrote: »

My eye immediately went to the people on the floor and their interactions and great body language. Then I zoomed in on the guy lighting his cig giving you a look. Then I got into the background.

This shot has some serious layers and they work well together, topped by the barely seen Saks Fifth Ave sign that's kind of tertiary but ties everything in nicely--seriously well done.

I truly appreciate your detailed description of how you viewed the photo. It is something that I am just beginning to learn and the cropping and processing plays such a large role here (since we can't control the subjects so much in street shooting). LR3 (which I noted months ago that you began to use and I just had to keep up with the Lizzards...:D) has given me more latitude on the b/w processing.

Thank you!

redleash · August 7, 2011

Ditto to Liz and Richard's comments. I think it is superbly done. The baclground works for me.

jpope42 · August 9, 2011

I really like this and think the light back ground works since its in contrast with the foreground subjects. What i really like is the layers of humanity, piles of messy street life in the foreground, almost prissy (by comparison) tourists in the mid ground and the uncaring urban scene in the distance.

Very cool.

richardman · December 30, 2011

Rainbow, here's a suggestion that may or may not work: blur out the cable car and its people a bit. If you are using Lightroom, you can use the "Soften Skin" adjustment brush setting. It may help to put more emphasis on the people in the front.

RSL · December 30, 2011

torags · December 30, 2011

Very well done done Rainbow.

These homeless gatherings occur around the city; you captured the fraternity in an economic contrasting setting (the Saks sign nails it)

There's more to this than processing

Nice work

torags · December 30, 2011

Molsondog wrote: »

OK folks. Let me have it after I offer my opinion.

Technically a very good shot. Well composed. Here is my issue: I believe that shooting homeless people is off limits. That story has been told ad nauseum. Same for street performers. Both are too easy of pickings.

That's all I have to say about that. Now let me have it if you disagree.

OK then.

Why are these homeless any different than the dining senior ladies you find acceptable as subjects in your Italy shots

I don't see a difference

richardman · December 30, 2011

Molsondog wrote: »

OK folks. Let me have it after I offer my opinion.

Technically a very good shot. Well composed. Here is my issue: I believe that shooting homeless people is off limits. That story has been told ad nauseum. Same for street performers. Both are too easy of pickings.

That's all I have to say about that. Now let me have it if you disagree.

It's not so much that shooting homeless is off-limited, it's the "are you shooting that only because it's easy?" I am sure great series can be done on homeless if done right.

rainbow · January 1, 2012

richardman wrote: »

Rainbow, here's a suggestion that may or may not work: blur out the cable car and its people a bit. If you are using Lightroom, you can use the "Soften Skin" adjustment brush setting. It may help to put more emphasis on the people in the front.

Thanks for the suggestion. I would not have thought of using the "SSkin" brush (I am still a novice at using LR beyond the usual sliders). I will skip for now because I consider the people on the CC just as important a photo element as the people in the fore.

rainbow · January 1, 2012

jpope42 wrote: »

I really like this and think the light back ground works since its in contrast with the foreground subjects. What i really like is the layers of humanity, piles of messy street life in the foreground, almost prissy (by comparison) tourists in the mid ground and the uncaring urban scene in the distance.

Very cool.

A very belated thank you for your comments (I went out of town on the day you posted for a week and lost track of the post upon my return). Your words express well what I like about this shot.

torags wrote: »

Very well done done Rainbow.

These homeless gatherings occur around the city; you captured the fraternity in an economic contrasting setting (the Saks sign nails it)

There's more to this than processing

Nice work

Thanks! I like the use of "fraternity" with the group in the foreground.

rainbow · January 1, 2012

Molsondog wrote: »

OK folks. Let me have it after I offer my opinion.

Technically a very good shot. Well composed. Here is my issue: I believe that shooting homeless people is off limits. That story has been told ad nauseum. Same for street performers. Both are too easy of pickings.

That's all I have to say about that. Now let me have it if you disagree.

I think you posted this when people are fatigued from many of the discussions that have raged on this forum recently... :cry

There is general agreement with your statement as a guideline, but also recognition that it is not an absolute. If shooting these groups, then something should be more compelling than their mere existence. (An aside: I have posted in this forum since its inception and believe this to be only my second shot of "homeless" people).

In this shot, the question is more whether that applies here rather than "you broke the rule". My posting of this shot, first in its initial thread, then in the "Best of" thread, makes it obvious that I believe it to be the case. Torags and others point out that there is an economic contrast that is a critical component of the shot. Union Square in the background is the epicenter of the toniest shops in the city. I and others have found much to discover in the shot. Whether it rises to be a worthy enough shot is up to the judgement of each viewer.

Geary

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