Help Eric – Please Paint Me

Posted on Jan.26, 2012, under HDR

(Nikon D700, 16-35mm @ 25mm, ISO 200, 7 exposure HDR)

I was going through some older images the other day when I ran across this one which I had taken a couple of years ago. I posted a different angle of the same building here. I decided that I liked this angle as well, especially because of the writing on the side of the building, so I thought I would work with the image to see if I could come up with something I liked. The subject is what I presume to be an old gas station in Saginaw, Michigan. I took the shot at the end of a day trip to Saginaw. Saginaw has been through rough times since the 70’s and it was actually pretty depressing to visit. I grew up near by and was disappointed to see how many buildings in the downtown area had been torn down.

This image was created from 7 exposures, blended in Photomatix and then further processed in Photoshop using primarily Photo Tools from OnOne Software and Silver Efex Pro2 from Nik. I used a variety of effects from PhotoTools, brushing them in where I thought the effect looked nice. I created a black and white version and then backed off on the opacity to bring some of the color back to the image. This version of the shot has a colder look to it than the one I posted previously. The other one is probably more ‘accurate’, given that the sun was low in the sky creating a warm tone, but I think the colder tone of this one works as well.

Comments and questions always appreciated!

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12 Comments

John Barclay says:

January 26, 2012 at 9:21 am

Awesome treatment James! Great image.

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- James Howe says:
  
  January 26, 2012 at 6:28 pm
  
  I appreciate the compliment. Thanks!
  
  Reply
A.Barlow says:

January 26, 2012 at 10:53 am

OK man, first off, this is awesome. The processing is great. Looking at the orig and the processed version blows my mind. I like how there is an almost implied vignette created by the deep blue sky and the white clouds. It’s also interesting how the foreground is almost reduced to a monochromatic appearance.

Speaking of the foreground, at first I thought it was grass in the processed image. Possibly cause by sharpening and contrast adjustments?

Looks cool man.

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- James Howe says:
  
  January 26, 2012 at 6:28 pm
  
  Thanks! Yes, it does sort of look like grass in the processed image. My guess is that the extra micro contrast and other adjustments brought out more texture in the concrete and made it look more grassy. Just a guess.
  
  Reply
Len Saltiel says:

January 26, 2012 at 11:47 am

This is a stunning urbex shot James. The processing is amazing. Extremely well done.
Len Saltiel recently posted…Rainy Day on the Thames

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Mark Summerfield says:

January 26, 2012 at 1:29 pm

Fantastic processing, James! Once again you have taken what was quite a mundane image and created a work of art. I prefer this treatment to that used on the previous image of this building – I think this cooler and grungier version is more appropriate.
Mark Summerfield recently posted…Circus Museum at the Ringling Museum

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- James Howe says:
  
  January 26, 2012 at 6:39 pm
  
  I appreciate the feedback. I do think I prefer the cooler look to this image.
  
  Reply
Mark Garbowski says:

January 26, 2012 at 3:16 pm

I remember the first image of this location, and I like this one better. The side comp is more interesting, especially with both the writing and the big Xs on the window boards. But also the processing, while still kind of grungy and detailed, seems a bit more refined and subtle.
Mark Garbowski recently posted…Fort Tryon Arches

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- James Howe says:
  
  January 26, 2012 at 6:29 pm
  
  Thanks for the feedback. I think I prefer this image as well. I’m not sure why I started with the other one. I think I initially liked the extreme look created by the wide-angle lens.
  
  Reply
Journey Photographic says:

February 1, 2012 at 4:49 am

I just want to know how painting the building helps Eric… 🙂
Journey Photographic recently posted…Repost: Hyde Park, London

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bob towery says:

February 9, 2012 at 9:24 am

Fantastic treatment. After seeing the treated one, I was surprised how plain the SOOC image is. Well done.
bob towery recently posted…Wordless Wednesday

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Andrew Graeme Gould says:

February 12, 2012 at 5:00 pm

A striking image. Really creative processing!
Andrew Graeme Gould recently posted…Australia and Chile: The colour red

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