Williamsburg Bridge

[Ruben Alfu]

Williamsburg Bridge connects two of the most trendy and eclectic neighborhoods in New York City: the Lower East Side in Manhattan, and Williamsburg in Brooklyn. During a nice spring afternoon, thousands cross this bridge walking, jogging, skating, or biking, in what becomes a thrilling track for many.

Ruben Alfu : Williamsburg Bridge


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[Deleted member 55]

I love the color combination!

Do you have a shot of the outside of the bridge?

 

[Asher Kelman]

I too would love to see more. What about the pedestrians?

Asher

 

[Ruben Alfu]

Hello Will and Asher, thanks so much for looking and commenting. Unfortunately all the photos I made that day are very similiar because I was looking for that kind of shot I posted above. Anyway, here are a couple more, not too exciting stuff, they´re all about the same, but if you look closely you´ll notice that actually each one has different people.

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[Asher Kelman]

Can one crop away an obviously useful element and still enhance this photograph?

Williamsburg Bridge connects two of the most trendy and eclectic neighborhoods in New York City: the Lower East Side in Manhattan, and Williamsburg in Brooklyn. During a nice spring afternoon, thousands cross this bridge walking, jogging, skating, or biking, in what becomes a thrilling track for many.

Ruben Alfu : Williamsburg Bridge


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It seems counterintuitive, perhaps, but I wondered whether or not the yellow lines are really needed as the base of the picture. We would naturally think that these strong directional elements would strengthen the movement. Maybe that's to some extent true but at a cost, perhaps of keeping the eyes more of the time locked in the lower part. Why, because there's nothing else in the picture so clearly rendered and defined.

So with Ruben's approval, I'm offering another presentation.

Ruben Alfu : Williamsburg Bridge Cropped AK​

Here, the strong yellow foreground pointers are recklessly removed having faith in the cyclist alone.

Ruben Alfu : Williamsburg Bridge Cropped with selective, lightening, sharpening and blur AK​

Finally, I've tried to add some subtle elements to further allocate power to the one cyclist going to his unknown destination with purpose.


Asher

 

[Ruben Alfu]

Hello Asher, first of all, thanks so much for taking the time to work on this, what a clever point of view! I´m so used to the original version that it was glued in my mind as the only possibility.

I think the cropped version adds tension, emotion, to the image, is like we´re getting closer to the action. Comparing these two compositions, I notice (now) that the original one is about a cyclist as much as about perspective, while the crop moves the balance in favor of the cyclist (but it also creates more balance graphically). Your version certainly does a better job focusing on the main subject and therefore maybe even defining the story.

To be honest, I´m not sure yet wich one I like better, I´ll need time to get used to the crop, but one thing is for sure, this is a revealing experience that I truly appreciate.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I think the cropped version adds tension, emotion, to the image, perhaps because the focus is much more predominant on the cyclist and there´s less room for the eye to move around him. Comparing these two compositions, I notice (now) that the original one is about a cyclist as much as about perspective, while the crop moves the balance in favor of the cyclist (but it also creates more balance graphically). Your version certainly does a better job focusing on the main subject and therefore maybe even defining the story.

Well Rubin,

In the original, the yellow line thrusts us to the cyclist. The edited version has the cyclist follow him to the end of the tunnel. Which do you want?

Asher

 

[Mike Nogle]

so much depth and flow seem to be cropped out of the photo now. One will inevitably focus on the biker, but I think it is important to realize the function of lines in the art of photography, and how much they add to the interest of a photo. I like the photo as originally portraid by the artist. The image seems so flat when cropped.

Mike

 

[Asher Kelman]

so much depth and flow seem to be cropped out of the photo now. One will inevitably focus on the biker, but I think it is important to realize the function of lines in the art of photography, and how much they add to the interest of a photo. I like the photo as originally portraid by the artist. The image seems so flat when cropped.

Mike

I'm not sure it would really appear flat when printed properly but certainly we do lose the two step dynamic of the original. I just like to see if we can break down what so we need to make a picture work, one way or another. It all depends on what the photographer has in mind. I like to explore possibilities and there is always a price in changing anything, as you rightly point out.

Asher

 

[Paul Abbott]

I really like the first image, I think it works well. I really like the feeling of power coming from the main rider in the image.
Me being me, I don't like it as a colour shot, I would prefer to see it as a B&W study. Its a good document. Nice one.

Ruben Alfu - Williamsburg Bridge​

 

[Nigel Allan]

I vote for the yellow lines...the light and colours in this shot are so surreal, so unnatural, so unworldly that I found my self wondering whether they had been manipulated digitally so my eye fell onto the yellow lines as a reference point of the real world colour...they grounded me (excuse the pun) so they get my vote to stay in the shot

And although I too am a fan of black and white like Paul, I feel this is a case where the colour IS the point of the shot as it gives a heightened sense of reality or surreality

 

[Asher Kelman]

And although I too am a fan of black and white like Paul, I feel this is a case where the colour IS the point of the shot as it gives a heightened sense of reality or surreality

I must say, I'm swinging back in line with color and the yellow lines. They reappear in the mid-height of the walls and probably the yellow color makes the picture. What's interesting is there's still a lot to explore. That means the shot, in the first place is above the ordinary.

asher

 

[Ruben Alfu]

Me being me, I don't like it as a colour shot, I would prefer to see it as a B&W study. Its a good document. Nice one.

Ruben Alfu - Williamsburg Bridge​

Hello Paul, thanks so much for sharing your interpretation of this image, I never thought that it might work in BW, I have to say the effect is stunning.

I vote for the yellow lines...the light and colours in this shot are so surreal, so unnatural, so unworldly that I found my self wondering whether they had been manipulated digitally so my eye fell onto the yellow lines as a reference point of the real world colour...they grounded me (excuse the pun) so they get my vote to stay in the shot

And although I too am a fan of black and white like Paul, I feel this is a case where the colour IS the point of the shot as it gives a heightened sense of reality or surreality

Hi Nigel, the colors were enhanced a tad but all the credit goes to the golden hour sunlight reflecting off those brilliant colors. Thanks for leaving your thoughts, very much appreciated.

I must say, I'm swinging back in line with color and the yellow lines. They reappear in the mid-height of the walls and probably the yellow color makes the picture. What's interesting is there's still a lot to explore. That means the shot, in the first place is above the ordinary.

asher

Asher, this is a fun and educating exercise for me, I´m just trying to absorb all I can from it.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I just returned from a trip to New york and The Willliamsburg Bridge was on my itinerary. However, the rain made me photograph reflections and somehow the museums and the days went by and I just had to come back to Ruben's pictures to see again what I missed.

I'm told that this pedestrian friendly bridge gives one of the best views of the NY skyline!

Asher