Options

Forest Hills--The Day After (series of 7)

lizzard_nyclizzard_nyc Registered Users Posts: 4,056 Major grins
edited September 21, 2010 in Street and Documentary
1.
1012649097_jVcod-XL.jpg


2.
1012649362_VDZ2J-XL.jpg


3.
1012649419_43Ayy-XL.jpg


4.
1012649142_2b2ST-XL.jpg


5.
1012649512_fpe3a-XL.jpg


6.
1012649710_cb5aa-XL.jpg

7.
1012649312_Ho4Cw-XL.jpg
Liz A.
_________
«1

Comments

  • Options
    FlyingginaFlyinggina Registered Users Posts: 2,639 Major grins
    edited September 18, 2010
    OMG Liz. I hope you and yours are alright.

    Nice series. #6 is just wonderful - life goes on.

    Virginia
    _______________________________________________
    "A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you, the less you know." Diane Arbus

    Email
  • Options
    lizzard_nyclizzard_nyc Registered Users Posts: 4,056 Major grins
    edited September 18, 2010
    Flyinggina wrote: »
    OMG Liz. I hope you and yours are alright.

    Nice series. #6 is just wonderful - life goes on.

    Virginia


    Thank you Virginia,
    We are fine, this was one neighborhood away. I was walking home with my daughter when it hit. It was terrifying, there was hail coming down, and lightning all over the place and the strong wind. I lost my umbrella and picked up my daughter and ran for safety. I am in Elmhurst, one neighborhood over from Forest Hills where the eye of the storm was. My neighborhood was relatively spared. EDIT: amid the chaos, I kept wishing I had my camera, lol.

    Here is a video link of someone recording the storm as it came into Forest Hills.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsiJ3z3WbhM

    About the shots, everybody was taking photos of the downed trees, crushed cars, etc. I am glad for everything I learned here so I knew to get the human element.
    Liz A.
    _________
  • Options
    misterbmisterb Banned Posts: 601 Major grins
    edited September 18, 2010
    I think #6 shows the resilience of NY'ers to adversity.. twin tornado's.. twin towers.. whatever- we deal with it.

    The National Weather Service determined on Friday last night that the twin twisters and the macroburst, a sudden acceleration of wind coming out of a fast-moving storm that reached a width of up to five miles, created a 14-mile path of destruction across across Staten Island, Queens, and Brooklyn.
  • Options
    damonffdamonff Registered Users Posts: 1,894 Major grins
    edited September 18, 2010
    6 and 1
  • Options
    misterbmisterb Banned Posts: 601 Major grins
    edited September 18, 2010
    Suggestion.. (you have LR3, Correct?)

    Try the "dodge" tool on the kid with the yarmulke (almost smack dab in the center of #6) and see if you can lighten his face to see some details.

    Would really help that shot tremendously.
  • Options
    Mr_Beach_BumMr_Beach_Bum Registered Users Posts: 63 Big grins
    edited September 18, 2010
    #6 is blowing my mind. Awesome.

    Namaste.
    http://www.havencreekstudio.com
    http://www.tidewaterproductions.com
    http://www.iseshamptonroads.com
  • Options
    moose135moose135 Registered Users Posts: 1,419 Major grins
    edited September 19, 2010
    Thanks for sharing these, Liz. Glad you made it through safely. We were fortunate here in Syosset, we only had rain, not much wind, and no real damage. Of course, nothing stops chess games in the park!
    The Moose is Loose!
    http://www.moose135photography.com
  • Options
    RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,931 moderator
    edited September 19, 2010
    I had been thinking of you when I read about the storm and am glad to hear that you and your family are OK. Excellent series--each shows a part of the story--but I find #5 the most powerful, probably because of the expressions.
    My Pics
  • Options
    michswissmichswiss Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,235 Major grins
    edited September 19, 2010
    I read the article on the Grey Lady this morning as well. Really glad to hear you're safe. I like the shots, but this is one of those times where I think a slightly toned down version of the images could have made them candidates for the press.
  • Options
    PattiPatti Registered Users Posts: 1,576 Major grins
    edited September 19, 2010
    OMG Liz. So glad you're ok. What a mess. #6 is absolutely fantastic. I love the nonchalance attitude of the men ignoring the devastation surrounding them in their pursuit of the game. I agree about dodging the face of the young man.
    I also like the couple in #2. There's a feeling of resignation in their body language. You don't have to see their face to feel their reaction.
    The use of a camera is similar to that of a knife. You can use it to peel potatoes, or carve a flute. ~ E. Kahlmeyer
    ... I'm still peeling potatoes.

    patti hinton photography
  • Options
    black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,321 Major grins
    edited September 19, 2010
    Hi Liz,

    I'm really sorry you folks had to go through an experience like this. Having endured a number of vicious storms here in Florida, these kind of scenes are all too common to me. It's hard to describe to someone the shear stunned horror of having a tree come crashing through the roof....as happened to me a couple of years ago. I'm so glad your family escaped the worst of this storm.

    Your pictures very effectively caught the mixed reactions shown in the faces of those people.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • Options
    lizzard_nyclizzard_nyc Registered Users Posts: 4,056 Major grins
    edited September 19, 2010
    Thanks for the concern all, I really appreciate it.

    Having lived in tornado alley before I should not have ignored the green skies and eerie calm. My gut kept saying "run" and my mind kept saying "it's NYC, there are no torandoes here".

    Jenn--as to your comment, I agree. When I was processing them I thought this is the closest I've come to actual PJ instead of just street, but I knew my processing didn't jive with PJ. I think if I was submitting to a paper I would have toned it down, as is, I only submitted them to the gothamist. I think everyone here is kind of saturated with photos of the aftermath.


    I have taken both Patti's and Misterb's suggestion to dodge the male int he middle of this photo? What do you think


    6b
    1012988562_A5shq-XL.jpg.


    I thought the whole scene surreal. Many Jewish people were walking the neighborhood after the Yom Kippur services (it's a heavily Jewish neighborhood) and it their attire, most dressed in white, was such a contrast to the chaos.

    The Park which was destroyed served as a gathering ground after the services and everyone just cleared a spot to sit and went along with normal activities amid the destruction.

    here is a couple more from the little park

    8. These boys made me laugh. They were in the park and saw me taking pics, they said "hey photographer come take pictures of us" so I did. The one in the middle asked me where I was going to post it and then suggested I post them in Jews.com. rolleyes1.gif
    1012649797_TtMWZ-L.jpg



    9.
    1013596324_37YPg-L.jpg


    10.
    1013620796_bJnww-L.jpg



    11. I ran to get a photo of the parents taking this photo (I missed it unfortunately)--they asked their son to climb on top of the tree for a photo op--I guess they never heard "safety first"
    1013620729_hka8z-L.jpg
    Liz A.
    _________
  • Options
    misterbmisterb Banned Posts: 601 Major grins
    edited September 19, 2010
    #6 looks better with the shadow gone from the kids face.. much better.
  • Options
    PattiPatti Registered Users Posts: 1,576 Major grins
    edited September 19, 2010
    Liz,
    The face looks like it's been lightened just a hair too much. I can pick out the dodging when I look at it.
    The use of a camera is similar to that of a knife. You can use it to peel potatoes, or carve a flute. ~ E. Kahlmeyer
    ... I'm still peeling potatoes.

    patti hinton photography
  • Options
    misterbmisterb Banned Posts: 601 Major grins
    edited September 19, 2010
    Patti wrote: »
    Liz,
    The face looks like it's been lightened just a hair too much. I can pick out the dodging when I look at it.

    Yeah- I didn't see it at work with the cheap monitor- but at home I can see it.

    I think you have to dodge it *first*, then adjust the rest.. I'm no pro.
  • Options
    M38A1M38A1 Registered Users Posts: 1,317 Major grins
    edited September 19, 2010
    First off, I'm glad you are OK. Living in the SW, we get our fair share of the violent storms.

    Secondly, I too have to go with #6 with an edit on the face somewhere between the first and second submission. The shot just screams of people's abilities to get back to normal as soon as practical.
  • Options
    indiegirlindiegirl Registered Users Posts: 930 Major grins
    edited September 19, 2010
    Oh, Liz! So glad you're okay. I thought of you.

    What great post-storm shots. I have to say I'm not really digging the b/w conversion, though. What are you doing to convert to b/w? Even without any modification, you've got a great series to mark this event. Way to go.

    Jesse
    main | recent work |
  • Options
    lizzard_nyclizzard_nyc Registered Users Posts: 4,056 Major grins
    edited September 20, 2010
    Patti wrote: »
    Liz,
    The face looks like it's been lightened just a hair too much. I can pick out the dodging when I look at it.


    Confession. I still dont' know how to fully work LR3 and dont' know where the dodge function is. I processed all the shots in LR3 but I dodged in Picnik. I wasn't happy with the results either.

    Thanks Patti, Misterband M38A1.
    Liz A.
    _________
  • Options
    lizzard_nyclizzard_nyc Registered Users Posts: 4,056 Major grins
    edited September 20, 2010
    indiegirl wrote: »
    Oh, Liz! So glad you're okay. I thought of you.

    What great post-storm shots. I have to say I'm not really digging the b/w conversion, though. What are you doing to convert to b/w? Even without any modification, you've got a great series to mark this event. Way to go.

    Jesse

    Thanks Jesse :D,
    I process in LR3 and this is the closest I've come to processing in LR3 to how I used to process before in high contrast. I just can't get enough of it. I've tried to tone it down but...ne_nau.gif

    I still post less contrasty shots now and then, but still it beckons. I do see how with this PJ series it would have benefited from a dial down or two though.
    Liz A.
    _________
  • Options
    RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,931 moderator
    edited September 20, 2010
    lizzard_nyc wrote: »
    Confession. I still dont' know how to fully work LR3 and dont' know where the dodge function is. I processed all the shots in LR3 but I dodged in Picnik. I wasn't happy with the results either.

    Learn to use the LR Adjustment Brush tool. You can selectively alter the exposure or brightness of any area, among other things. It's not as powerful as the PS dodging and burning tools, but it would probably work well in this case.
    My Pics
  • Options
    misterbmisterb Banned Posts: 601 Major grins
    edited September 20, 2010
    Richard wrote: »
    Learn to use the LR Adjustment Brush tool. You can selectively alter the exposure or brightness of any area, among other things. It's not as powerful as the PS dodging and burning tools, but it would probably work well in this case.

    I took one of my images that was dark and underexposed and then made a fast & dirty tutorial with LR3 and Photoshop screenshots.

    I'm not the *best* and probably not the *worst* at this- and if you would like to add pointers or better methods- have at it.
  • Options
    misterbmisterb Banned Posts: 601 Major grins
    edited September 20, 2010
    next
  • Options
    misterbmisterb Banned Posts: 601 Major grins
    edited September 20, 2010
    and then..
  • Options
    misterbmisterb Banned Posts: 601 Major grins
    edited September 20, 2010
    and once you do that..
  • Options
    misterbmisterb Banned Posts: 601 Major grins
    edited September 20, 2010
    finally
  • Options
    misterbmisterb Banned Posts: 601 Major grins
    edited September 20, 2010
    Also- the "model" here is my youngest daughter.. so say only nice things! :D
  • Options
    JuanoJuano Registered Users Posts: 4,881 Major grins
    edited September 20, 2010
    5 and 6. I like the two women with the exact same gesture in 5 and the resilience of habits and "togetherness" of 6. Glad to know from the other posts that you are fine.
    Cristóbal


    www.mind-driftphoto.com
  • Options
    rainbowrainbow Registered Users Posts: 2,765 Major grins
    edited September 21, 2010
    Excellent series of shots. You did well showing the damage.

    I do like #5 with the four all looking with emotion on the same scene, and #6 because of the quick return to "normalcy" amidst the chaos. (BTW, a simple fix here might be to just slide the "shadow" slider to brighter IF LR3 has such a function -- have this in PSE7 and DPP).
  • Options
    misterbmisterb Banned Posts: 601 Major grins
    edited September 21, 2010
    rainbow wrote: »
    BTW, a simple fix here might be to just slide the "shadow" slider to brighter IF LR3 has such a function..

    I didn't notice a "shadow" slider in LR3..
  • Options
    misterbmisterb Banned Posts: 601 Major grins
    edited September 21, 2010
    Before:
Sign In or Register to comment.