Midnight Construction Site

[draymorton]

Midtown Manhattan, just before 12am.

I had a hard time framing this so that everything in the shot looked even, symmetrical.

Wondering what anyone thinks about the composition in particular, because it bothers me for some reason.

[ishot3bucks]

Looks almost fake?? But, I like it!!

[Crashtest44]

Looks almost fake?? But, I like it!!

It does look fake. I think that is due to the color of th ground being off. I am expecting a brown (dirt) or gray (concrete) but the even white confuses the eye. I am assuming it is snow on the ground. Very cool picture the detail is great.

[draymorton]

Thanks, everyone.

Not the WTC site, just one of the myriad building projects happening in the Theatre District area. I think it might be part of Mike Bloomberg's plot to turn 42nd Street into a Disneyland for the well-to-do.

Crashtest and ishot3 - "fake" was the plan. I was hoping the dozers would look like toys in a big, disheveled, urban sandbox.

Frog, polarbear, Lori, danic - thanks! (Frog, the nomination is appreciated!)

jetrim - exactly. I think it was that, added to which one of the dozers is at a sharper angle than the other, rendering the whole thing slightly off-kilter. The latter had me wanting to rotate the image one way or the other (neither way worked).

Greg - it was done in CR and CS3. I haven't had much success with software like Photomatix, etc.

Chappy, susaan, and retro - camera was a Canon 5D with one of the pre-USM 100 Macro lenses. Shot in manual.

Thanks again!

[Frog]

Is this the WTC memorial site?
I think your composition is very good and I like the gritty color.
What lens were you using? Might be able to do something different with a wide angle if this wasn't.

[jetrim]

Wondering what anyone thinks about the composition in particular, because it bothers me for some reason.

This is interesting because it took me a while to figure it out. I think the reason it bothers you is that there are 2 subjects at opposite ends of the photo. Your eyes want to rest on both of them, but they are too far apart, so you find yourself darting back and forth across the shot. Where my eyes finally come to rest when looking at this, is the small gully below the right side track hoe.

What makes it interesting for me, is that I cannot come up with a better way to compose the scene without moving one of the pieces of equipment (obviously out of the question) and it NEEDS both of them to be effective...

I do like the grungy feel to the shot.

[Greg McCary]

Well the dozers are in the upper third, left and right. Nothing really bothers me with the composition. I think it works fine. You could use a small element in the lower third but still a wonderful picture as is. The processing is heavy but in a good way. It has a lot of small detail that would be a treat in large print. How did you process it?

[Chappy]

i love this shot. what camera/lens/settings did you use...i am struggoling with night shots right now and I am trying to pick up as many pointers as i can.

[susaan]

Also like taking night shots,please tell details....?

-I love everything about it,color suits,subject is awesome-nice comp......drool...

[Lori11]

Such a perfect shot, color, detail, composition.

[polarbeardiggers]

as a night shot fanatic i like it alot great detail, it has a HDR look to it alot,composed well,such much interesting spots all over.well done.

[retroactiv]

I really like this shot, I'm in wow. I also am wanting to know the details of this, is it the site of WTC?

[Frog]

I think it should get a sticky when the appropriate time comes.

[danic]

A photo with such an awesome amount of detail, I could spend hours soaking it all up. Print it off and hang :thumbsup: