Fuji Around and About the GWB

Penfan2010

All-Pro
Location
NJ, USA
Name
Ed
Enjoyed a great Sunday morning hiking in Palisades State Park, right along the NJ side of the Hudson River, across from the Northern end of Manhattan. A few views of the George Washington Bridge, all with the X-100, post processed with Silver Efex Pro 2.

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Ed, that first one is BEAUTIFUL....love it. The last one is also very nice. The 2nd one brings out my Photoshop urges. I would bend and twist that bridge until it was square or I went insane.
 
Thanks a lot, Luke. Agree, the second one is not quite there, composition-wise. I was trying to re-create a photo I took two years ago with the "crappy" camera on my iPhone mK 1. This photo does not come close to the original.
 
Ed, that first one is BEAUTIFUL....love it. The last one is also very nice. The 2nd one brings out my Photoshop urges. I would bend and twist that bridge until it was square or I went insane.

Luke:

Never been a big PS user but decided to try my hand at perspective correction based on your comment. Didn't see any of the lens presets for the X100 on my version of PS so just went for it---surprised that it was relatively easy to use. Not quite there yet, but I replaced image 2 with the corrected version. At least I no longer feel like the bridge tresses are falling away from me!
 
:) I feel better already. Sometimes when I try new things, I'm frustrated by how difficult they are....and sometimes it's so easy I can;t believe I never tried it earlier. Looking much better already.
 
Luke:

Never been a big PS user but decided to try my hand at perspective correction based on your comment. Didn't see any of the lens presets for the X100 on my version of PS so just went for it---surprised that it was relatively easy to use. Not quite there yet, but I replaced image 2 with the corrected version. At least I no longer feel like the bridge tresses are falling away from me!

You won't get persepctive correction from a lens preset since it is not specifically a lens problem. I didn't see the original but I really like how it looks now.
 
You won't get persepctive correction from a lens preset since it is not specifically a lens problem. I didn't see the original but I really like how it looks now.

Thanks, Nic. I guess I have to carve out more time to use PS for photo correction; used it ages ago to create composite images of pictures of my kids, just for fun. Some very interesting features to learn WRT post.
 
Perspective correction is interesting in that, while it is usually grouped with other lens corrections, it is not something that can be designed in or out of a lens. The exception to that are tilt/shift lenses but they still need to be set up manually for each shot (and are expensive!). I use perspective correction quite a bit since it is not always possible to shoot dead square. One thing that I note is that you've "keystoned" the bridge just slightly so that it still has a small amount of vertical distortion. IMO this a good thing to do since perfectly straight vertical edges can look unnatural to the eye.
 
I really like the shoot through the bottom of the bridge, what great geometry.

+1. My favorite image just lack a little something to be awe inspiring. The foreground is distracting adding nothing to the power of the steel beams and the ingenuity of man. But I just can't put my finger on why this image isn't as strong as it could/should be. I'll think about it ... yet I do like it, maybe it's the shadows ... maybe the time of day ...

Gary
 
Thanks, Gary--it is static, and it was a bit shot on the run (impatient son wanting to get on with the morning). I would have preferred a more dramatic sky, for one, and perhaps something more interesting in the foreground. All the feedback makes me want to go back and re-shoot! Maybe I should do a "Bridges of Manhattan" series......
 
One thing that I note is that you've "keystoned" the bridge just slightly so that it still has a small amount of vertical distortion. IMO this a good thing to do since perfectly straight vertical edges can look unnatural to the eye.

Nic, that is really good feedback and to your last point above, I was going by "feel" more than anything else. If I had to re-do, I would probably put back just a tad more "backward leaning" distortion--to my eye it looks overly straight.
 
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