Park Bench

[Tuna]

re-worked, Leica IIIc, 50/3.5 Elmar, Kodak TMax400

[payn817]

Wow. The placement of the person/bench is wonderful. It seems to blend a little too much at the back of the bench, but that may just be me. Then the wonderful texture and tones of the grass framed by the trees on both sides leads the eye into the sky, across the frame, and back down the trees. The sky looks almost as if it is painted in. I assume a storm was coming or going, and the sky gives the image a dark menacing feel.

[PlantedTao]

The background looks fake...if it isn't, that is one crazy sky, if it is, you did a good job with PS.
Nice placement and as always, wonderful photo.

Cheers.

Is this DC

[julsoph]

Tuna, your overall photos are always terrific anyhow, but it's the little things that really get me....like in this one, I just love the position of the girl's feet for some reason. And then I also really like the trunks of the trees in the background.
The bench DOES blend in quite a bit with the grass behind it, but it seems to work okay for me despite that.

Emily

[amithi]

I like the feet too...Looks like it could be an ad or something, perhaps that's from seeing to many of those ING commercials Nice job!

[jar_e]

Tuna,

Great as always. That background is so artistic; it's a beautiful addition. Great black and white and a wonderful shot.

A strong composition,

Jared

[TTT]

To me, this photo has some kind of eerie feeling to it - it looks like you can't place it. Like it could be absolutely anywhere, or nowhere, on Earth.

[Overbeyond]

The very first impression I got here was that this is a live theatre/stage scene. The person looks so much like an actor/actress in dress and hairstyle. Everything else is a massive backdrop. But of course it's not so what's Overbeyond talking about?
I do beleive we have seen this park before in one of your shots featuring a little boy.(Probably wrong again).
It seems you have dabbled to good effect with your software, producing an interesting and curious image.
Tom

[readingr]

Tuna,

I feel some deja vu with this shot. Have you posted a similar photo in the past or on another forum?

As for this photo, on my monitor the composition is excellent and I love how the feet mimic the lines of the trees which is why I really noticed them.

The tonal qualities are as always spot on and I have to think it was taken early autumn looking at the leaves on the ground and the clothing of the person on the seat.

Excellent

Roger

[Tuna]

Thanks to all for your in-depth comments and critique.

To answer some questions - what appealed to me about this scene is something most of you have also noticed as an after-effect. I liked the gradient similarities within a harmonious composition. As this was shot on the go, I appreciated that most during post-processing - and complemented it by keeping the tonal differences in the foreground to a minimum, allowing the backdrop to be the contrast - which ended up in an overall flattened perspective. Thus the appearance of a "stage backdrop" effect.

Tom - the shot of the little boy was a little closer to my home - this shot may be a little closer to yours - Kensington Gardens, London.

Roger - your deja-vu is caused by the fact that this image may have been posted before with slightly different post-processing - mainly with less overall contrast. Good memory...

Tuna

[Yoyo Szeto]

Hi Tuna,
I agree with the previous comments. The shot is GREAT! Could you tell us more about the post-processing? I am especially interested in the sky.
yoyo

[mtbbrian]

You know Tuna, I am going to stop commenting on your photographs. They are that good!
And you really have "your style" dialed in.
KUDOS to you!
I kind of see your shooting style as a combination of Cartier-Bresson and Tuna's.
Thanks for posting yet another wonderful view the world as you see it!
I swear you have made WAY more posts than you really show, 630 just seems low to me.
Brian

[gahspidy]

Great work, tuna. There is a very odd, surreal quality to this, which is it's strength, and i guess it is a combination of the composition and your PP. the bench does blend it a bit much with the background, but it is not by any means holding the image back. good work

[mtbbrian]

Great work, tuna. There is a very odd, surreal quality to this, which is it's strength, and i guess it is a combination of the composition and your PP. the bench does blend it a bit much with the background, but it is not by any means holding the image back. good work

I think the fact that the bench blends in with the background is a part of that surreal quality.
Brian

[Seb]

re-worked, Leica IIIc, 50/3.5 Elmar, Kodak TMax400

Tuna,

There is a theatrical feel to this picture which make it works in an unsual way. The background looks rather real yet not that real which create an interesting discomfort. It's very elegant yet almost spooky somehow.

Excellent work

Seb