Nordhavn

... on the relevant area

A lot of work went into this image, and I must say I was fooled into thinking it was a straight

forward capture (though obviously well composed). Congratulations even more for modfying

it as you did. Also, thank you for posting the other images - there is a benefit to those like

myself who wish to learn what we can out of the details. I have to say I am rather amused at

the lengths to which people have gone to dissect the photo looking for PS artifacts.

I'll second the last post. I don't think I mentioned it in my rant.

 

Having the other photos to view really helps people learn. Thanks alot Ciprian. You took a rather ordinary shot and made it into something substantially more. Nice to see how some good cropping can really help a photo.

Ciprian,

 

You've gone above and beyond in the level of detail you've provided here. It's fantastic to get a view 'behind the scenes' of how you created this very nice image. Congrats again on the POW.

The woman is as uninteresting as the shadow of the pole. The only

thing exuding any life in your composition is the shadow of the woman. Sorry, it's not

enough. I know what I've said sounds hard, but there WAS a good picture there to be had.

You missed it as one misses a train. I suggest going back. Try seeing the scene from a

different perspective. Maybe a different time of day, maybe without a 'model'. If opposites

was your theme, you could do much more to push that concept. A diagonal visual bridge

would really connect the vertical and horizontal energy. Finally, never be satisfied with

mediocracy. keep going back until you capture what is worthwhile and probably hidden in

the essence of the scene. Finding that moment , and seizing it is what it's all about, I

think.

Very nice photo Ciprian, good concept and execution. The alternating red and black colouring particularly catches the eye.

For starters this is one very nice shot. I'd not remove any of the shadows nor crop it further. The one on the left actually helps one define the curvature of the train. Otherwise it's a very 'flat' background, (see first crop and/or clean-up attempt) and one thing we try to convey in our art is depth. (That's why another nice thing about this image is the ability to see thru the train). The left shadow also balances out the other pole and shadow, and makes the shadows a total of three, a very good number for balance purposes in landscaping, decorating, etc..

 

The series showing different angle attempts and compositions is great to show beginners why one must keep trying to find something different; it's not easy to know which one is always best right away either. One of my mottos; shot first and ask questions later.

 

Well done on the clean-up of the foreground plants and elimination of that boring sky. I'd get that sensor cleaned right away though, that would drive me crazy (see same specks in samples).

 

I'd say you did just fine in finding that shot that most folks would have missed here. Keep up the excellent work, MS

very modern and good photography, it makes a lot of so called photogrphers, give how it was

done, or how it should be done comments, the only thing that can be said is that you worked

hard to get this picture and it came out to be the POW congrats and keep on shooting.

 

ben

A nice and powerful and well-composed illustration. I would leave

it just as it was in the original posting, but take out the letters on

the sign. Once you photoshop to that degree, it loses its editorial

value, and we can no longer talk about the event, or what was

happening. It is now solely art. That does not mean that is has

no value as another sort of image, however. it is now art, and

must be looked at ina different way. Like I said, it's no longer

about the occurence; something that happened, but, rather, is

simply a strong image regardless of meaning. The original

posting was the perfect composition, and way better than any of

the modifications anyone has posted. The power is in the

abstractions. it is all about line, shape, and color, so I think the

only thing heavily distracting is the script. I don't know how much

I can stress how perfectly composed it is, in my opinion.

 

keith

Michael, for the most part, I think that your frequent POW observations have merit, but I must disagree with you on this image.

 

"The one on the left actually helps one define the curvature of the train. Otherwise it's a very 'flat' background,"

 

The post shadow offers no more information than what is provided by the far more interesting shadow of the subject, so why not draw as much attention to it as possible?

 

". . . and one thing we try to convey in our art is depth.

 

The other shadows offer nothing but confusion, as witnessed by many of the other comments. The subject/shadow, the curb, and the sign provide the depth cues.

 

"The left shadow also balances out the other pole and shadow, and makes the shadows a total of three, a very good number for balance purposes in landscaping, decorating, etc.."

 

The odd number rule applies, but two of your five elements provide nothing of interest at all visually on their own.

 

Keith, unless I missed it, we haven't established that this was ever intended to be photojournalism. This kind of image, or at least what turned out to be the most appealing shot from the session, should be done with a model! And if she just happened to be standing there, (unaffected by a tripod and telephoto zoom!?) on the opposite platform, I think some effort should have been made to ask her to model for you!

 

"Hello!" "I love the way your outfit matches the color of the train." (click. click) "You're welcome . . . would you move one meter to your left?" (click, click) "Ah, yes, it's beautiful" (she smiles . . . . click, click, click, click . .)

... the shot also won "honorable mention" at the "See Orange" contest organized by Orange Romania.

 

http://www.orange.ro/about/events/ev-see2005-poze.html

 

http://www.orange.ro/about/events/ev-see2005.html

... l would have loved to have only the train, the woman and her shadow, nothing else. Or, even better, the train and the woman's shadow.

 

Let me describe the actual place: Copenhagen's Nordhavn train station is quite unusual in the sense that it's built on TOP of a building. That is the railways are on "the roof"; you can't use the zoom in the station and I don't mean the surveillance cameras and/or curious bystanders, it's just that the station is awfully narrow, look at the picture "05:49 p.m": THAT's the train station two railways available for trains to stop... Because of this, the train station is pretty crowded, there is no "free" space. More than that, the "sunny part" of the station is not that long because at that hour the sun comes through some other buildings. Lucky me, ACROSS THE ROAD another building made good use of the rooftop too: a "Computer City" has a parking lot on top of their building. Unfortunately the parking lot it's not that long, so the "straight" (read "perspective PS correctable") line of sight area towards the station is also rather short. IF I would have been able to climb on some architectural details of the building MAYBE I would have got a better line of sight? But then picture a guy with a tripod and bulky lens climbed on a non-accessible part of the building taking pictures of a train station after the London bombing...

 

Maybe I can try and do only the train and the woman's shadow but that will have to be portrait ain't gonna work landscape IMO.

there is a lot of thought, acute observation and work put into this picture and the result is very impressive. thank you for sharing your excellent work with us. congratulations on a well deserved POW.

Carl, we will have to agree to disagree. Your crop and clean up job left it too sterile IMHO. One thing I teach my class attendees (after giving them all of the 'rules' of good composition, the do's and dont's of distracting elements, etc.), is to make sure they don't crop/fix it into 'perfection, while leaving it a boring photograph'. It's takes a lot of practice to know when that happens and I too am still guilty of this once and a while. Of course, each will have their own definition of when it's too much; we must look to the 'judges' own art to see if it's working for them most of the time to verify if their judgement of the art is sound.

 

And that 'distracting shadow' adds depth more than you realize, notice the curve at the top. That defines more than the curve at the bottom. Small but important distinction. Furtermore, it add depth to behind us, as the pole is not in actual scene, it adds depth to outside the frame. (See the great books by Canadian photographer Freeman Patterson, he explains this technique quite well.)

 

Someone else said to 'just removing the name of the town on the sign', but that would not be a option for me, as it shows where it's not at (England, or New York City, etc). I guess you could say I prefer the small town feel it adds juxtaposed to such a high tech look. I've yet to see anything in this image that bothers me, and that does not happen all that often, being a perfectionist myself. Cheers, MS

 

PS Ciprian Vizitiu, I'd take a break from viewing all of these comments, as you will then feel you must defend yourself with each one. When I got one of mine selected for POW, I would not let myself near this site until the week was over. I'd of gone crazy as you must be doing. We will get over ourselves, believe me. You have done a good job a defending yourself and your decision making- your art will be fine.

It all depends on the tone you're looking for. I actually like the "5:49" wide angle upload that features the platform and the train on the left.

 

. . . and I would also like to thank you, Ciprian, for the background information and supporting images. I wish all POW recipients were as involved as you have been. (I can think of many who were, but there's been a greater number who pretty much disappeared.)

Well done. Beautiful study in red and black. Perfectly composed. I like the slight transparency through the train window.

Light,colors,saetting in frame are superb.Congrats.BoraBenic

I like it the way you originally posted. All parts seem necessary for the point/counterpoint aspect of the elements. The subject wearing the same color as the train made her linked to the train. excellent seeing and sense of composition. Thank you for sharing this image.

 

Peace

Nice shot, I like a lot when movement is moved and still is in focus.

Regards.

Like this a lot ! See my pics

How could I miss this till now?

This is really a great shot. The red shawl got some air also from the train.

Black and red in great conjunction which your composition points so correct.

Walked into the favourites

Regards Axel

 

 

I's assuming the model's clothing and location and her relationship with the train is not coincidental.  That's very clever.  6/6