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Thread: A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

  1. #1
    Otavio's Avatar
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    A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

    Hi, fellows. While giving birds a break, I decided to convert these images to Black & White (no sepia this time!). They were shot in Chicago, with a point and shoot camera, in 2010. C&C welcomed. Thanks for viewing. Regards...

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    A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

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    A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

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    A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

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    A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

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    A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

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    A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

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    Re: A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

    Nice series, Otavio. I like #2 and #3 best although all are nice images.

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    Re: A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

    You have a creative eye, Otavio, and your conversions are very nice. I'll provide my strongest impressions of each image.

    1) Must be viewed in the lightbox to avoid the moire pattern. Nice vignette. A little tilted to the right. The horizontal foreground shapes don't work for me and cut off my view of the tall vertical shapes.

    2) One of my two favorites of the group. I like that the perspective distortion of the buildings caused by the lens also takes place in the reflection. Consider achieving more separation between the man walking from underneath the sculpture and the shadows. Unfortunately, there is a moire pattern in all three viewing sizes.

    3) This doesn't work for me because I can't tell whether the subject is the railing or the boats.

    4) You probably didn't have any control over where you shot from, but I don't like the position of the strong horizon.

    5) Exquisite. Simplicity at its best. Love the mood created by the fog.

    6) Interesting to see the helmet on the lion but otherwise the photo doesn't work for me. (I hope you saw Chagall's "American Windows" there, a favorite of mine.)

    7) Nice juxtaposition of the flowers and the building. It makes me want for a bit more dramatic perspective with the flowers closer to the lens, but that may not have been physically possible. Consider cropping the top, forcing the viewer to let the imagination run wild about how tall the building is and to place greater emphasis on the flowers.
    Last edited by Mike Buckley; 9th March 2013 at 12:03 PM.

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    Re: A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

    Hello, Paul. I appreciate your feedback. Thanks!

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    Re: A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

    Good photos, Otavio.

    With regard to #3. I find misty scenes usually need a strong sharp foreground to ensure they look correct; instead of simply being poorly focused. You have that nicely arranged but I see what Mike means.

    The quay runs away into the distance and slightly to the right which is heading out of the scene. But the sharpest boat is on the opposite side without anything connecting the two elements together. Particularly with that lone post which appears to be separate from the rest of the quayside.

    I wonder if a slight crop from the bottom would reduce the amount of water and help to pull everything together. Not totally sure about the lone post though. However, I suspect that a slight crop from the bottom would reduce the impact of this post and create a better balance.

    But I am talking about very little here. Maybe reduce the post by half, or less. And probably remove a similar amount from the right side. Losing those distant lamp posts (or whatever they are) on the far right seems to help the distant quayside to gently merge into the background.

    And #4, regarding Mike's comment about the horizon. I assume there is a bit of lens distortion which is giving a curved horizon line. Surely not curvature of the earth at that distance.

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    Re: A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

    Hello, Mike.
    "You have a creative eye, Otavio, and your conversions are very nice"
    Thanks for viewing and for your kind words.

    Your feedback is much appreciated. Regarding #4:
    "You probably didn't have any control over where you shot from..."
    Right! I shot it through a glass window at the top of sky deck (Willis tower). Anyway, just to know, where would you rather try to position the horizon (up or down)?

    Regards...

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    Re: A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

    Otavio,
    As Mike Buckley said, you have a creative eye and your conversions are very nice. I agree with the remarks of Mike and Geoff, but I have to consider that, to take these pictures, you used an inexpensive and old compact camera (a true P&S). This confirms my point of view: in photography, the most important component is the photographer.
    Congratulations,
    Antonio.

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    Re: A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

    Hi, Geoff. Thank you very much for viewing and for your comments on #3! They are appreciated. Regards...

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    Re: A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

    Quote Originally Posted by Otavio View Post
    where would you rather try to position the horizon [of #4] (up or down)?
    I would try to position it higher and I would then crop to remove it. Your current placement of the horizon requires the space at the top. Without the horizon, you would need no more than half that space.

    Leaving the current horizon in place, I would consider digitally smoothing out the break between the water and the sky to something that is more transitional, as opposed to the clearly defined horizon that currently exists.

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    Re: A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

    Hi, Antônio. Thanks for you kind words. I am glad that you liked the conversions! Regards...

  11. #11
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    Re: A Black & White Windy City - Chicago Images

    Mike, thanks for clarifying. I will play with it a little, later. Cheers.

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