Once again I headed downcity for some street photography. It's normally fairly quiet on a Sunday, and with the bitter wind chill today, I didn't expect to find too many people out and about. Driving along Water Street, I saw this young couple (whether friends, family, or actually a couple, I'm not certain) waiting for a bus under a columned shelter with the Providence skyline behind them. I asked if they would mind my taking a photo, and they were quick to agree to the shot. Even better, they didn't pose for it, but just continued to do what they had been doing while waiting for the bus! They did a great job of keeping the candid nature of the shot even though I was kneeling a few feet in front of them, snapping away. I must say, street photography is remarkably rewarding. You meet some amazingly friendly people along the way.
Post processing started with a classic filter in Topaz B&W FX. I adjusted the color sensitivity sliders, followed by adaptive exposure, regions, contrast, boost black, boost white, and protect highlights. I made a brightness / contrast adjustment and added a sepia photo filter in PSE.
This a very pleasing picture. The couple look very relaxed. Their expressions are friendly to each other. There are some interesting shapes. There's the upright buildings and the pillar, then the diagonal shadow falling across the pillar and the girl. And the triangle of the close bodies, and the legs out to the side. Thanks for providing the Smugmug image for comparison. It certainly enhances the image. The blacks are so rich. A good example indeed of street photography, and fancy stopping the car just to get their image.
@medusa Thanks, Diana! I loved the fact that they didn't pose, but just went on being themselves. That area's a wonderful setting for candids. The background's interesting, and there are usually a lot of folks out (in warmer weather) walking the waterfront.
@tigerdreamer Karen, the sepia photo filter I use is a 25% opacity blend that simply softens the silvery-bluish feeling a straight b&w conversion gives off. A true sepia toned image is typically done using a different blend mode - typically soft light - and closer to a 75% opacity. It changes the underlying hue of the entire image. That's not the effect I'm trying to capture, in this case. The difference, really, comes down to how a traditional film photographer would have produced the same results. For what I'm doing, it's the same effect as having a 25% sepia filter screwed into the front of the lens. The sepia tones you're familiar with would be done chemically in processing the actual print. I looked back through my project to see if I have any true sepia photos, but the closest I have are from January and February of last year when I was experimenting with copper and brown gradient maps.
@tigerdreamer Well, if you're venturing into post processing, take it slow. Photoshop Elements provides everything you need for many years to come. On the free side, GIMP is fully functional and equally powerful. The most difficult concept folks struggle with initially is working with layers. They're essential, and once you get the hang of them, everything else really starts to flow. Feel free to ask anytime you have questions!
Thanks Ron , I have just started on elements and have devoted this second year of my project to learning processing.
I suggested someone please start up a challenge similar to the camera settings challenge, but for processing. Richard posted a nice start in tips and tricks, but not as an ongoing challenge. Would you be interested in taking on something like that for us beginners?
@tigerdreamer Karen, the sepia photo filter I use is a 25% opacity blend that simply softens the silvery-bluish feeling a straight b&w conversion gives off. A true sepia toned image is typically done using a different blend mode - typically soft light - and closer to a 75% opacity. It changes the underlying hue of the entire image. That's not the effect I'm trying to capture, in this case. The difference, really, comes down to how a traditional film photographer would have produced the same results. For what I'm doing, it's the same effect as having a 25% sepia filter screwed into the front of the lens. The sepia tones you're familiar with would be done chemically in processing the actual print. I looked back through my project to see if I have any true sepia photos, but the closest I have are from January and February of last year when I was experimenting with copper and brown gradient maps.
I suggested someone please start up a challenge similar to the camera settings challenge, but for processing. Richard posted a nice start in tips and tricks, but not as an ongoing challenge. Would you be interested in taking on something like that for us beginners?
@victorypuzzle Thanks, Dominique! I'm beginning to think the entire state is filled with actors. Just about everyone seems to ignore the camera. lol