Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

I would really like to hear constructive criticism of this image. Thank you in advance!

Ben

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neco Loc: Western Colorado Mountains

I am wondering if b/w would work, as well.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

I actually did a version in black-and-white and I think it has potential, but I’m still working on my black-and-white post processing skills and I have not been able to give the monochrome version any real pop. Thank you for looking and for your suggestion!

mffox Loc: Avon, CT

Your "man in blue" is overwhelmed by the masses of blue in the building. I would mask the man and convert everything else to B&W.

Just a thought.

User ID

When I wonder about that, I usually download and see for myself.

IOW, just quit wondering and do it.

User ID

I always enjoy ambiguous or even confusing planes and figure is more or less an excuse for the photo, or a "hook" for some not-so-imaginative potential viewers.

I tried enlarging the figure by cropping. It made the grassy patch more prominent, which tempted me reduce or eliminate the grass by slightly more cropping.

Reduction to monochrome never crossed my mind. Its nearly mono already. UHH has a cadre of critics who automatically (perhaps pointlessly) suggest conversion to mono. Im willing to see for myself.

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luvmypets Loc: Born & raised Texan living in Fayetteville NC

Hi Ben,
You might want to consider that not every photo makes a great black and white. I've found that the best b&w conversions are with photos that have a lot of bright colors or color ranges that will convert to run the scale from white, through the grays and then to black (or near to if black and white aren't present). Photos that are close in hue level tend to stay in the gray tones giving a flat look...which some people like. For instance...a photo of a gray mountain, brown sand and medium green sagebrush will convert to different shades of gray. If you look at your b&w version of this photo you see that the grass, the blue panels and the jacket are pretty much the same shade of gray.

Your photo of the plane was a good example of having the full range and you adjusted to bring the whites from gray to white without blowing them out.

That being said...this photo has some nice lines and geometric shapes. The gentleman is sort of small so he is almost lost; would the photo benefit if he weren't in it? I think it depends on what his purpose is in the photo.

I'd like to know what your intent and thinking were when you took this? What did you see that made this something you wanted to photograph? Just curious.

Dodie

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

I’ve been watching the light on these buildings for a while. I’ve been looking for a strong composition as well. What struck me was how massive they looked contrasted with the man. That is what made me stop.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Geometric forms confuse the primitive eye but not to humans. If you do not like Rab-Eye photo do not brag about your dislike... "Determining the cognitive differences between human and nonhuman primates is a central goal of cognitive neuroscience. We show that intuitions of geometry are present in humans but absent in baboons. "
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2023123118

manofhg Loc: Knoxville, TN

I think that having the matching blue is important in the composition and would obviously be lost if only in B&W. I think it is a great shot. Not sure what I would do to it beyond the usual curve adjustments for brightness/contrast/luminance, etc.

cbtsam Loc: Monkton, MD

I can't count the number of times I've read that one should include foreground objects in landscapes to give the viewer a sense of scale; I think your person provides that sense of scale, and makes this image a good bit more than a regurgitation of the architect's ideas - which are nice enough themselves. I agree with manofhg that the image could benefit from working with the luminosities a bit, but a very nice start.

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Would like it more if the man had a red jacket on. Would give the image some contrast.

Don

User ID

Ahhh ... the Kodak "Red Sweater Rule" !

luvmypets Loc: Born & raised Texan living in Fayetteville NC

Thank you for sharing your vision for the photo; it helps to know how you viewed it. My tendency is to look at composition first so the lines, patterns and geometrics are what I considered to be the photo with the gentleman as an incidental. That is why I asked if the gentleman was necessary for the scene; compositionally he doesn't add to it.

Now that I know you were using him for scale I am able to view this another way.

Now I would like to ask a question of you and the others here just to see how others think. I am trying to expand the way I view a photo; to see it more than one way.

UserID made a crop of the photo making the gentleman more prominent in the scene. Does the crop take away from the story Rab-Eye is trying to tell?

I'm not trying to start a war; just asking if the crop still tells you the story that Rab-Eye's does.

Dodie

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

I think the crop looked good. I’m not sure if I prefer it or not, but I like it.

Ben