Color or B&W? Help me out

Jack'll do

Really can't decide which works best in this case. Maybe it's because there's really only two colors (blue & red in the color version. I do like the grungy look of the B&W tho').

hstrynrd

Black and white stands out to me. I think it makes the picture stand out more. The red brick and blue truck don't really stand out to me. I like the passenger's expression in the truck. Good capture.

black mamba

I wish, Jack, that I was a more unbiased commenter for you. I see the world in color and that's the way I prefer to see photographs.....at least for the great majority of time. Consequently, I vote for the color version. Either way, it's an interesting image.

Take care,

Tom

torags

B&W

The sky picture on the truck almost seems like a window thru the truck

Good capture

Richard

The colors work fine for me. I think B&W could also work, but I find this conversion over-sharpened. I don't think I need to see all that texture in the sidewalk, brick and blouse--for me, that's not the story here. On the other hand, I think both versions would benefit from some serious dodging of the guy in the truck. He kind of gets lost as is (especially in B&W), which is a pity. The good news is that it's a fine capture--just needs a little more work, IMO. .

Juano

Color for me. I think Ricard's comment is spot on.

Earache

Me 3 on Richards comments... also, I suggest straightening vertical, and crop less wall and more truck if available.

Jack'll do

hstrynrd wrote: »

Black and white stands out to me. I think it makes the picture stand out more. The red brick and blue truck don't really stand out to me. I like the passenger's expression in the truck. Good capture.

black mamba wrote: »

I wish, Jack, that I was a more unbiased commenter for you. I see the world in color and that's the way I prefer to see photographs.....at least for the great majority of time. Consequently, I vote for the color version. Either way, it's an interesting image.

Take care,

Tom

torags wrote: »

B&W

The sky picture on the truck almost seems like a window thru the truck

Good capture

Thanks for your insights guys, and your admission of general bias toward color Tom.

Jack'll do

Richard wrote: »

The colors work fine for me. I think B&W could also work, but I find this conversion over-sharpened. I don't think I need to see all that texture in the sidewalk, brick and blouse--for me, that's not the story here. On the other hand, I think both versions would benefit from some serious dodging of the guy in the truck. He kind of gets lost as is (especially in B&W), which is a pity. The good news is that it's a fine capture--just needs a little more work, IMO. .

Thanks for your comments and suggestions Richard. As for the B&W, the image was captured in an area of lower Manhattan which tends to be a bit grungy. Just as I came upon this woman she was bent over fully at the waist perhaps for the benefit of the man in the truck. As I raised my camera she straightened up and I missed the shot I wanted. I definitely and intentionally went for a dingy somewhat sleazy effect in the B&W version.

In the original version, the interior of the truck cab is totally black. I used Photoshop's "shadows and highlights" to bring out what I could. At your suggestion I tried dodging on the original and the overall effect was more splotchy than the one I posted.

Juano wrote: »

Color for me. I think Ricard's comment is spot on.

Thanks for your comments Christobel. I like them both for different reasons (see above)

Jack'll do

Earache wrote: »

Me 3 on Richards comments... also, I suggest straightening vertical, and crop less wall and more truck if available.

Thanks for those suggestions Eric. This is the original uncropped (except for cutting off some of the sidewalk on the bottom edge) image resized. I held the camera vertically in order not to miss the top of the truck or end up cutting off her feet. No time to compose well, as I would have lost the hand on the rump pose. She quickly finished straightening up and turned the corner. Tried straightening the image using #lens correction filter in PS but that would cause the right edge to cut into the man's face.

Earache

I hear ya' Jack - sometimes we are lucky just to get the grab... which you did here - really great shot, well seen!

FinkelsteinPhoto

Black and white for sure. If she was wearing high heels and had a Vuitton bag i could see it as an ad in the NYT sunday magazine!