Mooresville Rd. at S. Main St.

Something seems a little different about the latest pictures you've posted, a very subtle shift from the objective to the subjective...or at least that's what it feels like to me. There's something very empty about this one with the traffic signals suspended over an empty intersection and nary a truck in sight. I do have some hesitation about that little jogged whatever it is at the bottom. which I feel attracts undue attention but I'm aware you might have a completely different feeling and interpretation..

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Jack, you may be right about the subjectivism, but what happened here was that I wanted to check out an area where a new underpass (behind me when I shot this) is going beneath the railroad tracks--and the view in color down the road shown is quite nice when the picture is blown up.  I just happened to see how stark it looked as displayed, so I tried to give expression to a new look at a familiar spot.  So I made it even more barren looking by converting it to black and white.  I'm not sure why.

 

You are probably right about the reverse "Z" shape, which I presume has something to do with the construction.  In color, before being put through B&W processing in Layers, the reverse Z is bright blue.  When I darkened the sky by pulling back on cyan and blue, the bright blue went to black.

 

--Lannie

Here is a less forbidding crop from the very same frame--but left in color.

 

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--Lannie

Here is the shot being discussed, showing the reverse "Z"as black.

 

--Lannie

Ok, here's what I think about the reverse z. In the original shot (b&w which I think is the only choice here) I thought the mark took too much of the attention, shifting the viewers eye to the front of the picture. Now that it is gone, it makes me realize how important all that front space and open road is to this picture. The mark itself was very distinct and nailed the foreground of the picture in place. With it gone the front edge looks a little loose, wishy-washy, maybe due to the somewhat intermittent fading of the crossing lines which are either shadows or natural features . I think you either have to strengthen the foreground using levels, curves and contrasts to give the area more prominence or put the damn thing back

You're making me laugh again, Jack.  Yes, something needs to be done with the damned foreground.

 

--Lannie