Challenge #59

Jenn

Would this qualify for "Signals"?

A Sign of the Times

WhatSheSaw

Definitely on theme for me.

And I like the processing, but I am not certain that everyone will.

indiegirl

I think it's on theme but I don't care of the PP.

misterb

Jenn wrote: »

Would this qualify for "Signals"?

A Sign of the Times

Not a positive sign, but definately a sign!

Jenn

The man was sitting there in front of Walmart yesterday when I went to do my grocery shopping. I brought my camera with me just in case I saw something that would make a good shot for this challenge.

I have the shot in full color, too.... but, I thought it might look more dramatic if I did it in black and white and added a filter to it. Any suggestions?

red_zone

it's very dramatic. It kind of looks like a cheap newspaper print or something that's been faxed a few times. I'd personally like to see a little less harsh processing on it - about 80% is bright white, which makes the rest sort of hard to look at. I'm not sure there's enough separation between the old guy's head and the background, and the expression on his face has lost a little in the processing.

Great eye though. It's a great portrait in context. I like even the cars in the parking lot in the background, it puts him in a parking lot.

Jenn

red_zone wrote: »

it's very dramatic. It kind of looks like a cheap newspaper print or something that's been faxed a few times. I'd personally like to see a little less harsh processing on it - about 80% is bright white, which makes the rest sort of hard to look at. I'm not sure there's enough separation between the old guy's head and the background, and the expression on his face has lost a little in the processing.

Great eye though. It's a great portrait in context. I like even the cars in the parking lot in the background, it puts him in a parking lot.

Thanks for the suggestions.. I'll try a different process to it..

misterb

Sometimes, you think a shot is good.. process it- and then that feeling leaves you- like a gas pain.

I think that (after revisting an image after a day or two) a little time passing and then reviewing the shot helps.

Jenn

Here are 2 more versions .... either of them any better?
I kind of like #2 better myself.

Try #2-color:




Try 3 - Greyscale

Jenn

misterb wrote: »

Sometimes, you think a shot is good.. process it- and then that feeling leaves you- like a gas pain.

I think that (after revisting an image after a day or two) a little time passing and then reviewing the shot helps.

yeah .. I know that feeling .. my first try always looks ok to me at first, but the more I look at it the more I want to fix it!

dlscott56

Yep, it's a sign. 2 years left, guess I should stop working so much and start having more fun! Didn't really like the post in one either. Little too over the top. IMO the color version seems to make the 'sign' stand out a bit more than the black and white.

sunflowerstudio

I like the theme. My preference is for the color version; the crisp white/red of the bumper sticks out in that one. But, I'm still wondering a bit about the processing, even in that one. There's something funky going on in the man's left arm, for example. Is it a high degree of sharpening? Or have you done some cloning? or does he just have an atypical arm?

I'd like to see the original and see what others have to say about processing. I'm not an extensive processor myself, though I've been learning a lot from this forum on the touches that can add a that little extra zing.

Jenn

sunflowerstudio wrote: »

I like the theme. My preference is for the color version; the crisp white/red of the bumper sticks out in that one. But, I'm still wondering a bit about the processing, even in that one. There's something funky going on in the man's left arm, for example. Is it a high degree of sharpening? Or have you done some cloning? or does he just have an atypical arm?

I'd like to see the original and see what others have to say about processing. I'm not an extensive processor myself, though I've been learning a lot from this forum on the touches that can add a that little extra zing.

The mans left arm looks funky because it IS funky looking! seriously ... lol He was sitting in that chair propping himself up by his elbows with his arms both pointed inward and his hands hanging down. I just lightened the original photo a bit because he was sitting in the shadows and added a bit of blur to the cars off in the parking lot to make him stand out more as the center of the focus, and then cropped it and resized it a bit smaller.

Jenn

dlscott56 wrote: »

Yep, it's a sign. 2 years left, guess I should stop working so much and start having more fun! Didn't really like the post in one either. Little too over the top. IMO the color version seems to make the 'sign' stand out a bit more than the black and white.

I think I like the color one better, too. thanks..

I'm not sure about what his sign says.. I thought it was a good opportunity to get a photo of something unusual for thie particular challenge. I don't get many chances to get photos quite like this one.

misterb

He's a dusty old man.. that's gray arm hair.. imagine if he took off his shirt!

Jenn

misterb wrote: »

He's a dusty old man.. that's gray arm hair.. imagine if he took off his shirt!

haha no thanks .. I don't want to imagine him with his shirt off!

Jenn

misterb wrote: »

Not a positive sign, but definately a sign!

yeah ... we get alot of stuff like this man and his sign off and on here in Tulsa .....

travelways

Very interesting and unique - I think I like the first one best, but it's still missing something, not sure what...