66th and Second, NYC

your comments are appreciated.

The tonal range seems compressed.

The visual definition of "brooding"

It's luminous because of the light but even more the dark behind the steam/smoke. You also take away as much context as you possibly can. I think you do this regularily. Here everything at eye level is gone...and with that the source of the smoke. Without that context my imagination is free to create a fire on the streets. With fire on the streets and the flag wrapped in smoke I make up an ominous story about war/revolt/riot. BTW I think this print works from across the room even as small as it is. I think a large silver print would be very beautiful.

just a quick/naive question. what do you think about the highlight that lines the edges of the buildings at the top?

Hey Balaji,

 

I'm not crazy about that outline, but it's not in the print so I don't care that much. I think it's an artifact of the compression and sharpening I do for web display (maybe I should be more careful with that). For prints I sharpen little if at all.

I should add that, for a number of reasons, this one doesn't translate well to the web. The full-resolution version has detail throughout the dark areas and there's none of that weird halo effect. For the record, this image was not manipulated much -- I took it really dark in levels and then dodged on the left and lower right, that's all. I was pretty excited about this one but, given how it looks here, I understand the lukewarm reaction.

okay, tx. i do kinda like it, though not as much as your stronger stuff, and i'm sure it's way better on print..

Lukewarm http://www.click-smilies.de/schnellauswahl/fragend005.gif

Interesting shot, definitely has some energy to it. I realize it might not fit with your aesthetic, but just out of curiousity, I'd like to see how a 2nd much lighter and more detailed version would work.

OK, you can probably scratch what I said about the exposure. Now that I'm looking at it on a decent monitor, it's taken a jump in print quality. I imagine in the physical print it takes an equivalent jump. Hmm, very intriguing photo. I have to think about this one. I don't know at this point if the viewer's probable realization that there is a sort of "trickery" going on with framing, and the fact that the "smoke" is probably steam- limits it in some way. A very good effort in any case.

Ha. I don't know that it accomplishes as well what your 'Sunrise on Second Avenue' did so simply and beautifully and convincingly. I'd still keep it though. ;)

Ray, interesting points. To me this one tells a more "2004" story -- there's an ambivalent, foreboding, tense quality. The "sunrise" one is all about the aftermath of 9/11/01, and so it has a lot more unalloyed emotion and elements of tenderness, sorrow, hope, etc. I agree the "sunrise" one is way stronger; I don't know if I can make a better image than that one...