Did I make this too dark?

[Tom Henkel]

The buildings behind this cute little diner in Worcester, MA were kind of boring, and the jumble of overhead wires wasn't very attractive either. So I darkened the background a bit. Did I over-do it? Any comments appreciated.

Tom


http://www.pbase.com/thenkel/image/71475854.jpg

[Asher Kelman]

I am not sure Tom!

It sould be great to see the before image. Was it cropped as this might help if the diner was stting somewhere to breathe.

The post that hold up the "Diner" sign seems to be needed.

I'd post the original un-cropped and we might start from there. diners at night, especially decorated can be very good subject to work with and also challenging.

This requires some thought!

Asher

[Nill Toulme]

I like the blacked out shadow areas, but I think I'd like to see the lights pop a little more.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

[Will_Perlis]

I'm with Nil on this. I'd leave the darkened background and spark up the front of the diner along with the blue "Diner" sign and the Coke machine (just a little on that). The lights on the left end of the diner are already blown out so I'd leave those alone. You might even want to tone down the part of the building in back a bit more where it's showing above the left end of the diner.

Do you have any objections if we play with that image?

[Nill Toulme]

I wonder what happens if you just whack it with a USM 20/50/0?

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

[Will_Perlis]

Interesting idea. Ihat works reasonably well if you mask off the left end first so it doesn't get brighter.

[Asher Kelman]

I do like the picture as is. However,to improve it requires more consideration. For that, I still would like to see the original.

Asher

[Will_Perlis]

I don't know what Tom's original intent was but if I'd taken it (and I surely wish I had), I'd empathize the festive front and the blond woman looking out the window. I could make up stories about her and what she's doing, thinking, and feeling in there for hours. It's definitely the sort of picture I most like.

[Asher Kelman]

I don't know what Tom's original intent was but if I'd taken it (and I surely wish I had), I'd empathize the festive front and the blond woman looking out the window. I could make up stories about her and what she's doing, thinking, and feeling in there for hours. It's definitely the sort of picture I most like.

Will,

You are so right! I magnified the file a little and cropped it to just include the front part of the diner. nothing above the roof or below the reindeer.

Then converted to B&W, it becomes the story of that woman waiting for you Will!

However, we'd need the larger file to do it. Anyway, we didn't get the O.K. to actually mess with the file! Still, it's fun to test whether your fantasy can be accomodated!

Asher

[Don Lashier]

Nice shot, but I agree with Asher that I'd like a breathing room in the crop.

If this is nearby, my impulse for a different take would be to go WA, get closer and perhaps down, blocking out the building in back, introducing some perspective and angles, and making the woman in the window more prominent!

- DL

[Joe Russo]

Tom,

Nice shot of an American Classic! The colors are great and your choice of angle to diner makes for an interesting image.

As for the buildings and wires behind the diner I wonder if getting lower and closer might not hide them as well as help to emphasize the lit reindeer on top.

[Tom Henkel]

Thanks to everyone who commented. Per Asher's request, here is the original, unedited (all I did was resize) image. If anyone wants to have a go at editing this image, feel free to do so.

http://www.pbase.com/image/71534465.jpg

I have to admit I don't usually do a lot of post-processing work on my images (just the usual PS stuff) and I really didn't go into my original edit with a plan of attack. I just fiddled until it started to look like something interesting. I think this particular image needs a little more premeditation and I may do another edit from scratch.

To answer some of the questions that have come up:

1. Trust me, there is nothing more interesting on either side of this diner. The kind of structures you see in the background are on either side. To the immediate left of the diner is a trailer (with the ice cream sign) and a car parked next to that. That's why the framing is so tight (my original edit really doesn't crop that much from the original).

2. I agree that getting closer and using a lower angle might have helped. The problem is this diner is on a busy four-lane street. I toyed with the idea of moving to the grassy median seen in the bottom of the unedited frame. But that median is not as wide as the shot makes it appear and frankly I didn't feel it would be a safe thing to do. It was early Sunday morning, not very light yet, and there was still a fair amount of traffic. The best vantage point would have been in the middle of the street. But I don't think that would have been a healthy thing to do. I also thought of shooting from the sidewalk in front of the diner, but I'm not sure I could have gotten enough of the diner in the frame (24mm was the widest lens I had in the bag).

3. I agree with Don that the woman in the left corner of the diner is interesting and could be the subject of a different crop of this image.

Tom

[Will_Perlis]

Tom,

I vote for the dark one. Any of us might differ on exactly what to do with it but the dark version has magic, the original version has reality. IMO reality is fine for a visit but I don't want to live there.

[Asher Kelman]

I think there may be no need for color! Just some quick masking. Sky I'd wish to do more with and clone out foreground. But I'm still happy about the mood of Christmas, the diner, the girl and the American way! You know, wherever you drive, there's some great people waiting with the light on!

http://idisk.mac.com/med007/Public/OPF_2006_12/Henkel_Diner.jpg

Asher

[Don Lashier]

> I agree that getting closer and using a lower angle might have helped. The problem is this diner is on a busy four-lane street.

Super-wide from the sidewalk right in front of the diner might work - and take it at night!

- DL

[Asher Kelman]

Tom,

Is this easy to get to or is it now off the highway, through roads buried in snow?

I'm wondering whether you are planning to take more pictures. This seems like a great subject to keep working on. After all ths is an American classic!

Asher

[Tom Henkel]

Tom,

Is this easy to get to or is it now off the highway, through roads buried in snow?

I'm wondering whether you are planning to take more pictures. This seems like a great subject to keep working on. After all ths is an American classic!

Asher

This particular diner is in the middle of Worcester, on a busy (a little too busy) road. Even in the worst weather, I think this one will still be accessable. And what do you mean snow? Other than a few flurries, so far winter has been a no-show. The weather forecast for this weekend is sunny in the 50s.

Rumor has it that Santa might be bringing me a 24mm TSE. So I suspect I might be making a return visit to this subject. I'll bet I could get a decent shot from the sidewalk in front of the diner with that lens.

Tom

Tom