Yesterday, I received a rather interesting challenge in a comment on the Facebook version of the photo I posted for this project. The comment effectively said that, while the photo was technically good, and the historical context interesting, the subject and treatment of it lacked a story, a message, or something to set the image apart. My subjects as a whole recently have drifted away from a style or sense of drama that would differentiate them from the same shot taken by hundreds of other photographers of exactly the same scene shown in exactly the same manner. It was a welcome reminder that the purpose of this project (for me) is not to simply post a photograph every day, but, to the greatest extent possible, do so in a way that improves my photographic skills in subject, composition, and processing. The comment was quite accurate in that assessment. Now, granted, with a full-time job (at least for the moment,) it's not possible to get out every day and find drama, but it was a welcome jolt to refocus my attention to what matters to me as a photographer.
That brings us to today's photo. I was planning to head downcity (Providence) for some street shots, but as I drove past India Point I noticed this scene in the making. Several elements attracted me. First was the contrast between a small pleasure craft out to do a bit of fishing and the large freighter docked at the Port of Providence just across the Seekonk River. This scene would not have been possible in my youth. Until 1974, there was no India Point Park from where I shot this scene. This section of the Seekonk River was not a tranquil location with pleasure craft on this side of the river. Rather, it was the site of a large scrap metal yard and had been since just after the First World War. The Seekonk River was so polluted (thanks to a number of upstream mills and a raw sewage line that emptied into it) that you would not consider dropping a fishing line in the water. Today's scene shows, not just a contrast in size and purpose, but also a transformation from the heavy industry of the last century to a public park today.
I wanted to return to black and white for today's shot, and for once, the shot was exposed and composed with that in mind. To accomplish the transformation, I adjusted the white balance a bit in the RAW conversion, then applied a simple pop filter in Topaz Adjust. I adjusted the hue towards the green side, drawing out the details of the symbol painted behind the boat, and also improving the contrast between the water and the freighter. From there I adjusted the levels a bit, and also adjusted the contrast. The top layer is a sepia photo filter.
