Opinions, please?

Took my camera out latest night to do some shooting around the city. Only people moving about were the police. And me. Needless to say, I got a couple "looks", with my tripod and camera set up in the streets! I'm fascinated at how much - well how little actually, is going on. People around here seem to be taking this "thing" pretty seriously. I wanted to capture the feeling of the empty city on film at night. Here's a quick shot of what I was aiming for in one of the photos. I was shooting film, so it might be a minute before I get to see how my photos come out. Meanwhile, please critique this for me, if you will. Thanks in advance for your time.

 

Tom

 

Hiya, Tom. I hope you and yours are staying healthy and safe in this time of dread. By the way, I haven't forgotten about my poetry/photography project. Now, on to business. Give what you want the image to communicate, I wouldn't change anything other the bank sign which seems disembodied. To fix this, I suggest that you use your dodging tool and slightly lighten the area between the sign and the sequences of bright "dots" below it. This probably wouldn't affect the image's storyline. Hope this helps. - - michael

I really like this photo, Tom! The 3 main things I immediately liked about it are;

- there is ' clear message' -you might want add a short ''context message' summarizing where, when (and what time of day....

- it's a very 'clean' photo which adds to its clarity, message and power

- I especially like the the way you're captured the ''Fulton Bank sign' and the windows below. They seem to me to just hang - ungrounded- in space. In stark contrast to to the 3-D streets below.

 

The only 2 minor suggestions I have for you to consider are:

1. the bottom-right corner (a bit of bike?) is for me a bit of a distraction.Consider removing it in PP

2, the same (for me) is true of the optical and physical dots and scratches on the road (in the foreground). These are not difficult to remove in PP. If removed, the viewers' attention (IMHO) would me more immediately focused on 'the photo'' and be less distracted by distractions and (optical) imperfections.

 

No criticism from me, its a really great photo as it is. Since you asked for 'critique' (whatever that means!) I thought I'd give you my personal feedback just to consider.

 

Mike

Edited April 10, 2020 by mikemorrell

I think without the two cars in the immediate foreground, it would feel a little more desolate and empty. Capturing the cops would have been a nice touch. By itself, it feels somewhat unremarkable, but as part of a more descriptive and in-depth series I think it would have a place.

I think this is a nice shot that bear some signs of the present time.

I don't know how busy these street at "peace" time, but now they look very abandoned. The dark (lifeless) tower of bank is especially symbolic. On the other hand, the dotted line of the illuminated windows directs to name of bank could be sign of an optimism.

Cheers.

If you came back at 4 a.m., would those cars likely be gone, or are they residents'? If so, I think it'd be worth waking up early to do that. (You can always take a nap later).

 

I'm undecided about the bank's sign. One minute it shouts, "I'm the subject, look at me." and other times it's just there. If I could get a totally empty street (no cars), then I'd crop it out. As is, I'm neutral.

HI guys, and thanks for taking time to talk about this photo. Th cars parked on the streets belong to residents- this was shot at about 1230-1 AM so not much would change if I frame back in a. couple hours.The bank sign... I've shot it a couple different ways over the years, and have at least one more in mind. It shines like a massive, red beacon in the night, and sits atop a great Art Deco building. The sign is as much the point of this photo as the empty streets. I actually like the stairwell lights and the way they take you straight up to the sign.

 

So I said I was shooting film, so here is the film shot of this scene

 

 

and here is another shot of the city skyline from across the river, very near my home, to give you an idea of the sign in the greater context of how it relates to all around it

 

I’m not clear on what you say is “the film shot of the scene” in your later post. What’s the shot in your OP?

 

In any case, if you cropped out the car and partial building on the left of the (similar) shot you just posted, I think you have a better photo in that one. The building has so much more life and presence, the light rays of the street lamps read more powerfully and distinctly, the brighter light reflected on the street itself has more energy, the clearer reflections in the nearer car on the right punctuate nicely, and with the added dynamics the street somehow seems quieter. The shot you just posted has a quiet energy instead of what reads to me in the first photo as dullness or even lack of interest. It also comes across as a lot more personal than the colored cityscape which is distant and postcard-like as well as having some exposure issues (the domed building in particular).

Edited May 9, 2020 by samstevens

Sam that originalist was just a phone pic of what I was going for with the Hasselblad. the color, distant cityscape is just to. add some perspective on the Fulton Bank sign in its place in the skyline, also just a quick phone pic out the front door..

Thanks for checking in on it tho, really appreciate it. Here it is, cropped as you suggest. I have a 2nd one that I exposed a bit longer and it's a lot lighter than this one, a little too light for my liking, this. one is a bit more atmospheric, I think.

 

Edited May 9, 2020 by Ricochetrider

I don’t understand why you posted the original for critique instead of waiting and posting the Hasselblad version. If you were trying to get feedback on the iPhone shot to help you with some post processing issues you thought might encounter with the Hasselblad before you went ahead and developed it, I get it. But that would then suggest you’d introduce it to elicit such response. Otherwise, why devote time to a lousy iPhone grab when you’ve got a much more refined piece of work in the oven. It’s like Wolfgang Puck serving me a TV dinner of fish sticks and asking my opinion before he presents a more robust, homemade fresh baked salmon in parchment paper. :)

 

As the saying goes ... what were you thinking? :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

Nevertheless, sincere thanks for offering the Hasselblad version, for coming back to the comments, and for continuing to support this forum with photos and critiques.

Edited May 9, 2020 by samstevens

Sam to answer your question as to “why”? I don’t really know, but I guess I knew it would be a while before I got the film processed, and I was excited about it so... I guess I’m (still) just an excitable boy! Not really a real reason tho, I admit. Perhaps also, nobody was really putting anything up so I thought what the heck I’ll post something.

But anyway I am sure glad to post things for critique and also to take a turn at critiquing as well.

Hey here’s the *other* one, I saved it to my phone & darkened it a bit in the iPhone editing software. The lights are a bit over the top but there’s enough light here to pick up extra details of all the buildings, including the mural on the building on the far right. This is uncropped, just darkened a little with no further editing. Let me know which you prefer.

 

The latest one seems much less refined and atmospheric than the one you posted yesterday. Just look at the corner building. In today’s, there’s no sense of the streetlights casting soft shadows on the building so the building has a forensic, artificial look. The street itself became a shadowless harsh distraction rather than an empty invitation. The foreground cars pull the viewer completely away being as over-the-top with reflections as they are. The tall bank building itself has more presence and detail and the mural might be a nice touch though it changes a lot about the photo, but the entire rest of the pic has been sacrificed for these elements. What do you think?

 

[i’d consider layering the two and brushing in the bank building and mural as well as any other details that might add texture from today’s lighter photo to the extent they could look well integrated.]

Sam, I much prefer the 1st and more atmospheric shot. I do like the extra details in the 2nd shot, but wouldn't know how to go about merging details from 2 into shot 1.

The first B&W image is the best in my opinion(leave well enough alone). It could use just a tad more contrast(without losing detail), but then again it could be my monitor. It is very unique in that you don't see many night shots in B&W anymore. The star like halo's around the lights gives the picture a lot of dynamics. Some would prefer that the 2 cars in the foreground were removed, but to me it gives the picture a more life like appearance as if someone was just walking into the scene. Edited May 12, 2020 by hjoseph7