New York City, New York

This is actually a new take on an old picture...this was taken in July 2005 and I had originally edited the picture and posted it here with selective coloring but playing around today in the studio I decided to go a different way with this picture. Below the original edit and the new version. Thoughts?

original edit:

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/1841/nyc1a.jpg

new edit:

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/5007/nycme.jpg

I like the vivid yellows in the edit and the close up, but I do not understand the logic of the added blurr

"Nobody drove in New York, there was too much traffic" - Phillip J Fry.

I agree with armando - the blur doesnt make sense.

I like the direction you're going in with the edit.

The blur could work really well were it more natural and bokeh-y and handled a bit more delicately. As it is, it hints at a "toy cityscape" look, which is really cool.

What blurring method did you use?

Hm, I can see what you're working to achieve with the tilt/shift effect, but I think 1) it's a little too extreme of an angle to be believable and 2) the blur-to-focus is too much of a jolt. To achieve a better tilt/shift effect, I would shift the angle a bit so that some buildings were in the focus area, and some traffic on the extreme ends are also. It's a good candidate for the effect, so maybe just tweak it a little? Hope this helps.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by megan

Hm, I can see what you're working to achieve with the tilt/shift effect, but I think 1) it's a little too extreme of an angle to be believable and 2) the blur-to-focus is too much of a jolt. To achieve a better tilt/shift effect, I would shift the angle a bit so that some buildings were in the focus area, and some traffic on the extreme ends are also. It's a good candidate for the effect, so maybe just tweak it a little? Hope this helps.

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Agreed.....

I agree the effect is just to much. I like the original the most, I think I see the Cash Cab?

I like the 1st one. The 2nd one, I think is a bit too abrupt. The blur should've been a gradual mask with its access paralelling the street. Nice scene of NY!

Thanks for the critique guys!

I was just giving the tilt shift effect a try, I'll keep working on it.

Thanks!

I really like the first shot, the splash of yellow against the b/w of a NYC street is a very good interpretation of The Big Apple. I would probably clone out the McDonald's flag though, or maybe give it a little color too. (Nothing against McDonald's, its just the only icon in the shot other than Yellow Taxi.)
I agree with the others on #2, but I do like the "toy affect" that you created. I would like to see more work on this shot, I think that there is something there.