Sunset City

[skeuos]

Here's a shot that I took last summer from the top of Rockefeller Center. Always liked it, but it seems to lack that extra bit of "oomph". I'd appreciate some thoughts and suggestions; edits are ok.

http://www.bytephoto.com/photopost/data/856/10776SunsetEmpire2_800.jpg

thanks!
steve

[eyevan]

i did a small reedit.This is an awesome shot (yours).Does this look any different??thxs for letting me play with the pichttp://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/1/8/3/6/10776sunsetempire2_800_original.jpg

[owenmorris]

Here's a shot that I took last summer from the top of Rockefeller Center. Always liked it, but it seems to lack that extra bit of "oomph". I'd appreciate some thoughts and suggestions; edits are ok.

http://www.bytephoto.com/photopost/data/856/10776SunsetEmpire2_800.jpg

thanks!
steve


I love this view and did a little edit of my own, tonemapped using Dynamic Photo.


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3025/3249594309_6d9be7138c_o.jpg

[colelover178]

Wow that is an amazing shot and is definately better after some editing I like both edits the first looks like it is a night shot and the second looks like its during the day because of the levels. I think i like the second edit better though it really stands out and a great photo even before those.

[skeuos]

Thanks for the thoughts, guys! Eyevan, I hadn't thought about a crop from the right, but I'll consider that. I do like the vivid sky.

Owen, I like the life you brought back into the city. I'll have to see what I can do there.

steve

[jerryph]

Sometimes subtlty works?

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/1/0/0/0/10776sunsetempire2_800_jh.jpg

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/1/0/0/0/10776sunsetempire2_800_jh1.jpg

[skeuos]

Jerry,
That bottom one in particular stands out. They both have a great twinkle to the city lights - did you dodge the highlights, push the curve, or something else entirely?

steve

[jerryph]

Lots of playing with the curves, some dodging and burning, selective saturation, brightness and contrast increases and... I used a technique reserved for for portrait shoots that for some reason really worked well with your photo. I applied my version of what is commonly called the "Dragan Effect" from the photographer Andrei Dragan. The bottom and top are essentially the same picture but with an overall brightness increase in the bottom one.

It seems to add a nice amount of pop to the picture.