graphiti artist

[jgredline]

Hi Folks
As I continue to go through my pictures to clean up my folders and delete what I do not want, I came across this one. It is a little different in what is normally posted, so let me know what your thoughts are...I took this picture out the window of my car before it got knocked down...This was taken right below dodger stadium..

[GB1]

J - Hmm. I think I would like it better zoomed in closer to the house. The surroundings are quite interesting in their own way, but there is probably too much in the scene, causing distraction overload (especially at the top). Otherwise, it's an interesting take on a strange little place. LA sure has a lot of this graffeti, some of it quite skilled. -GB

[MB1]

I like the overall but I too would crop from the top to about the roof line and tilt the image to the right slightly. I like the dirt bank in the foreground against the colorful urban house.

2 thumbs up.

[jgredline]

GB1 and MB1
Thanks for the responses. I really appreciate it and cc from you guys carries allot of weight..The picture in itself is not breath taking, but when your learning I believe you can't shoot enough...I feel like slowly I am getting it..
Here is the redone cropped photo. I also cloned out the antena that was there. Should I crop more?
Thanks.

[brmill26]

Much improvement to my inexperienced eye. The only problem with the edit is the wire you cropped out of the sky, but not from the rest of the image. Taking out the wires completely is definitely better, but knowing how tedious that is, in my opinion it would be better to leave it running across the sky as well instead of just ending it mid-air, where my eye and attention then say, "Well where's the rest of the wire, am I missing something..." and my attention gets distracted from the real point.

That aside, I think it's a great photo.

[jkriminger]

Javi..without the original to see the clone effect you only need to clone the wires into the house area on upper right and left and in trees...after that its just graffiti. I would straighten the house level and then layer the foreground and then adjust darker to make house pop better. The sky would be a easy layer level also in adobe to darken. Always zoom into clone areas , there are lots of fragments left (usually). Change brush sizes..diameters and hardness to get smooth transitions.

[jorger101]

That is what I call shooting from the hip. I find it amazing that you took this picture from your car. Were you moving or did you stop to take the picture? What got knocked down? Your camera, the house or your car window?

[retroactiv]

for a Yankees fan I think it's quite an interesting little place. I agree that LA has it's fair share of freelance artists, with no exception taken for this little building. Good shot, I like your edit... Very simple, it's just there, look at me, I'm a building standing because the paint is keeping me in place.

[jgredline]

Rod
Thanks for the tips and the advice. My photoshop Skills are limited...But I do have the photoshop for dummies book, so I will give it a try.

Jorge
Being that your from Pasadena, this picture was taken off stadium way, right before the 110 freeway entrance. I was waiting at the stop sighn and the house caught my eye...It was split second as the cars started to honk at me, so I only had one shot and one chance...That house is no longer there as it got knocked down.

retroactiv
Thanks for the comments...A yankee fan, eh..Well I won't hold that against you . lol
L.A. is a great place. It really is...There are many ''nouns'' to shoot and yet sometimes there are none... lol...

Thanks folks.

[jorger101]

Thanks for answering my questions. I was hoping that the house was still there. The dodger stadium is not far from me as you know and I wanted to take a look. It is a very nice photograph and I like it.

[Greg McCary]

I think you should crop most of the foregound out and you should clone the rest of the power lines and rotate it slightly to the right. The dirt hill really isn't helping it much. It's a nice subject and you exposed it well.

[jgredline]

Hi Folks
Thanks for all the comments..I really appreciate it very much!
Well I took your advice and spent an hour or so cleaning up this house.
What do u think ?

[Greg McCary]

I was thinking more like this. You did good shooting dead on and not getting a perspective lean.

[jgredline]

Greg
Yours look way better..Boy did I butcher the crop on mine..

[Greg McCary]

I am glad you like the edit.

[jorger101]

Hello Jgredline

I drove on the 110 freeway yesterday coming back from Santa Monica and interestingly enough I think I saw that house off the freeway. Are you sure it was torn down? It was kind of dark because it was after sun down around 6:30 when I drove by. But from the freeway I could see the house with graphiti including the telephone poles in the background. I went to Santa Monica to catch a sunset by the pier. I used my film camera and hopefully I got a nice shot (I will see later). Maybe I should go back to the area today if I have time to see if my eyes were not deceiving me. I was excited to have seen it.