Not Sure Why I Like This...

[fkramer]

I spent a few hours last week shooting New York City at night from across the Hudson River in New Jersey.

I did get some nice images.

However, my favorite from that night is this one, of my shooting site -- and I'm not quite sure why. There's just something about it that interests me.

Any ideas about why this works ... or maybe I'm drinking my own Kool Aid?

[Chlobo]

Ok, well I'm not sure if I'm allowed to comment here because I can't give professional advice, but I shall anyway.

I really really like it. I really love how the railing to the left is such a bright blue, and I love how the streetlight shows the trees up that way in a line. And I like how there are people just sitting around so casually. It's such a nice laid-back photo.

The only thing I don't like much about it is the building in the background, mainly the windows in that. I find it distracting.

[matthewchj]

Originally Posted by Chlobo

Ok, well I'm not sure if I'm allowed to comment here because I can't give professional advice, but I shall anyway.

You don't need to be professional to give advice. There is no such job as "professional advice-giver".

[Jargon]

You made good use of the leading lines technique. Notice how the path is leading your eye toward the distance. In addition, there are lots of triangular figures, which is another good technique.

[jiminyClickit]

fkramer, Welcome

Why people dress the way they do, or choose to eat certain foods is as individual as the photos that move them, and as difficult to predict.

This shot has a strong diagonal, light/dark contrast, points of interest without too much clutter, and while I might have framed up and right a little bit, it would only be different, not better, because of whatever you saw that night. This is your Kool Aid.

[michellepotter]

I like it a lot. The line of trees, the line of the rail, the path leading off. It's great.

[thingy]

I like this shot. The pic is pretty much cut in half diagonally from corner to corner by the railing which runs into the line of light cast on the trees. The split of one half dark and the other light has a nice kind of 'yin and yang' effect. The only change that I personally would make is to crop a tiny bit in from the top left dark corner to reduce the dark area a little.

G

[fkramer]

Thanks for all the great feedback.

Given the discussion, it seems that geometry and dark vs. light have a lot to do with the photo's strength.

Thus, I wondered how it would look in B&W. What do you think?

[rikkersc]

I prefer the color photo. I think the color makes the diagonal lines more pronounced.
In the b&w, my eyes are drawn to the white t-shirt of the person sitting on the right of the photo - rather than the diagonals converging on a center point.

The first is a very nice shot.

[jiminyClickit]

fkramer,

Color still does it better, because of the hues and the vibrancy, not just because it's color.