NYC steam

[deeyas]

Folks,
I tried a couple early morning street shots in NYC. Here is one taken through the steam. I seldom use LR presets, but as I was hovering over them, the "cold-tone" preview of this image seemed interesting.

C&C welcome and appreciated!

[wolfnowl]

I like the second one, with the exception that the buildings seem about to topple over.  Also your steam looks more like smog, but maybe that's just New York.

Mike.

[deeyas]

I like the second one, with the exception that the buildings seem about to topple over.  Also your steam looks more like smog, but maybe that's just New York.

Mike.

I'll try to adjust the alignment of the buildings...
It's actually the steam coming out of a pipe!

[RSL]

Sayeed, I agree with Mike about the color of the steam, though I like the threatening aspect of the buildings. I think it's appropriate for New York. But I wonder what the straight version of the thing looks like. The blue is a bit over the top and, as Mike says, the selenium toning makes the steam look like smog. What was the matter with the straight color shot or a straight B&W version?

[deeyas]

Sayeed, I agree with Mike about the color of the steam, though I like the threatening aspect of the buildings. I think it's appropriate for New York. But I wonder what the straight version of the thing looks like. The blue is a bit over the top and, as Mike says, the selenium toning makes the steam look like smog. What was the matter with the straight color shot or a straight B&W version?

Russ,
There was nothing wrong with the straight color or BW. To be honest, I was so caught up with using one of the LR presets as a starting point, that I really didn't pay attention to the original image. I went back to my RAW, straightened the lines, adjusted WB, and made a few adjustments with the tone-curve tool, and here is the result...

[RSL]

Russ,
There was nothing wrong with the straight color or BW. To be honest, I was so caught up with using one of the LR presets as a starting point, that I really didn't pay attention to the original image. I went back to my RAW, straightened the lines, adjusted WB, and made a few adjustments with the tone-curve tool, and here is the result...

Sayeed, Okay, I see... the problem's that the light that didn't catch the steam, so it's going to stay dark no matter what you do. I guess the blue (cold) version is best after all. But I think straightening the buildings is a mistake. When the buildings aren't threatening the picture loses a lot of its punch.

[cmi]

I like the very first image very much! Particulary that the buildings are tilted in combination with the blue toning. The tilt gives me a sense of spontanity, power and directness. Also I like the crop of the first image more, its open to the top, this gives a sense of the size. The later versions I find to be more boring and watered down.

Christian

[RSL]

The later versions I find to be more boring and watered down.
Christian

Christian, That's an interesting observation. I agree. This is what usually happens when someone "fixes" a picture. As I've said again and again, your first impression usually is the right one -- the one that made you trip the shutter.

[cmi]

...first impression usually is the right one ...

Exactly, althrough not always.


//: fixed typo