Put up a bunch of ugly boxes, and Jesus, people bought 'em.

[Radtech1]

This I am asking general critique. The feeling that I get is overpopulation, over crowding, dehumanization. The nonexistant dof was intentional, I wanted to flatten the scene, making appear even more "stacked" than it was. Does it work.

Bonus points to anyone who can name the song that the "Subject" line is from.

http://home.ripway.com/2004-2/78486/Canon/Boxes.jpg

NOTE:

These two were added after the original post. Steven thought that they were too "bright" and I agree. This is the original version, without the saturation boost that the above shot has. Also included here is a mono version as well. Are these any better?

http://home.ripway.com/2004-2/78486/Canon/Next1C51NoBoost.jpg

http://home.ripway.com/2004-2/78486/Canon/Next1C51Mono.jpg

[usiddiqi]

interesting concept but doesnt do it for me. maybe a wide lens would have helped, or perhaps you could have tried zooming out to show a broader view. i would have tried it in black and white as well. but im still learning so i dont know.

oh the song... the last resort by eagles.

[Steven M. Anthony]

For me, what gets in the way of your message is the bright colors of the buildings in the back. They look like something you would see in a resort town--places that are always crowded but don't,in my mind, symbolize overpopulation.

[mikesd]

Call something paradise, kiss it goodbye. One of my all time favorites.

[Ferox13]

Call something paradise, kiss it goodbye. One of my all time favorites.

Ha-Ha, someone beat me to it...

That song seems terrible appropriate considering who won the election. Have that in my disc change right now.

[manncer]

:)

Actually I like the first one. Your theme does come across. I'd like to see colors more saturated or intense.

Good Job
Manncer

[edsarkiss]

the b/w takes it here -- it reinforces your point of the buildings being anonymous and stacked. the color versions take away from the impersonality (word?) of the buildings.

btw, usiddiqi, i think a wide lens would take away from the tight feeling of the shot. the foreshortening effect in the photo is very strong compositionally. a wide lens would put more "air" in between the buildings, which i think is not what radtech had in mind.

great work, especially the b/w version.

[usiddiqi]

yes the b/w version looks much better... also the cables look distracting to me... try cloning them out in photoshop.

[CDickinson]

I actually like the first one Rad. The colors show more of the stacking effect. When you tone the colors down or go to b/w you lose that stacking because the "separations" of the buildings disappears.
I wouldn't clone out telephone poles, or wires or any other objects of a city. After all, you're shooting a city and those are very much part of the landscape. In fact, in this case, more wires and poles would add to it.

C

[Radtech1]

I wouldn't clone out telephone poles, or wires or any other objects of a city. C

*Whew!*

Thanks, CD, there is a lot of wires there!

[Belmondo]

It's all 'eye candy' to real estate developers.

Interesting shot.

[PhotosGuy]

I like the first one as the colors add interest. If there were people, or something else in the pic to do that, then maybe the less saturated one.
The wires don't bother me in this type of shot. I wonder if there are any clothlines there? Colorful laundry flapping in the breeze might be nice.

[Radtech1]

Thank you for everyones replies. This is one that my I got critiqued by my Pro friend. He liked the heavy saturated one best. The more I look at it, I think I like the normal sat one.

As far as the song goes, it is "The Last Resort" by the Eagles, from the Hotel California album

Rad

[djtowle]

I like the colors, maybe even over-saturate them and reduce the number of colors with the flattened dof they might come out like colorforms!