Hotel Californian

germaine_sba

This comes under the heading of doodling with Photoshop. The picture was taken in the early morning, and the colors are pretty blah. I upped the contrast in Levels and Curves, chose the green channel for black and white, and then fiddled around some more and topped everything off with a fill layer of black set to soft light.

The building is the old Hotel Californian on lower State Street. It may become part of a timeshare project or it may be demolished. It's unreinforced brick, and needs total retrofitting.

saurora

What a coincidence...I just finished viewing your galleries and this was one of my favorite shots! I was also curious as to your treatment...and now I find this thread! I love the treatment...it gives a strange flatness (not sure about that description!) to the scene, but the white glow of the lamp keeps the scene from appearing muddy. Would be a shame if they tore this oldie down, wouldn't it?

Angelo

Hi Germaine

I'm sorry to say the shot does not really pull me in with a focal point. Perhaps if you made the lamp and banner more of the subject, or pulled back to show more of the building and its sign. A small portion of the corner of a building doesn't quite evoke interest or emotion, at least not to coincide with your description. (by the way, where is this located?)

Also, I'd watch my vertical and horizontal lines of the structure in composing the shot.