Yvonne Cary Carter
November 2024 - Harlequin Black and White
Original
About the Image(s)
This image was taken at the Museum of Surgical Science during Open House Chicago, sponsored by the Chicago Architecture Foundation. One weekend every October, the festival allows participants to visit buildings not usually open to the public.
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with photographing spiral staircases. Research says the helical staircase is inspired by natural forms like snail shells, ferns and DNA structure. It was challenging trying to get a shot without people. I edited with photoshop in camera raw, extended the bottom right railing with cropping AI and removed sunlight rays on the floor with the no gamma ray tool instructed by Adobe help line.
Camera Canon EOS 6D
Lens EF 24-70 f2.8 @ 44mm
Exposure 1/20 @ f/3.5
ISO 800
Aperture Priority
12 comments posted
At first glance, the image appeared to me as a three-dimensional drawing. The confluence of different shapes and lines with varying contrast between black and white is more appealing to me than the original color image and makes this a fun image to view. I appreciate the useful detailed post-processing techniques you described as well. Great job! Posted: 11/08/2024 12:08:54
Jim, Thank you for your comments. Posted: 11/13/2024 14:08:55
Yvonne, I was confused for a moment. On the one hand the center pulls me into the image, on the other hand it pushes itself out again.
A photo that reminds me of the books of my youth: The Magic Eye, Three-Dimensional Illusion Pictures.
You've created a great image and the black and white conversion lends itself to concentrating on the essentials.
The large dark area in the top right disturbed me a little.
I mirrored the image horizontally and distorted the upper right edge a bit so that the view falls directly into the upper corner and moves downwards.
Maybe you like my idea of editing. Posted: 11/12/2024 19:30:59
A photo that reminds me of the books of my youth: The Magic Eye, Three-Dimensional Illusion Pictures.
You've created a great image and the black and white conversion lends itself to concentrating on the essentials.
The large dark area in the top right disturbed me a little.
I mirrored the image horizontally and distorted the upper right edge a bit so that the view falls directly into the upper corner and moves downwards.
Maybe you like my idea of editing. Posted: 11/12/2024 19:30:59
Sabine, The dark area disturbed me as well. Thanks for experimenting with the horizontal turn. I looked up the Magic Eye. It would be pretty cool to hide something in this photo. Thank you for your comments. Posted: 11/13/2024 14:15:55
Yvonne, your "Harlequin black and white" image is stunning! The black-and-white treatment really highlights the geometric floor patterns and makes the staircase feel even more dramatic and eye-catching. The vertical perspective is especially effective, adding depth and realism that truly draws the viewer in.
A small suggestion: there are a couple of black spots on the right side that might benefit from being lightened up slightly to keep the focus on the staircase's elegance. Overall, it's a beautifully composed shot that captures the complexity of the spiral perfectly! Posted: 11/14/2024 13:56:49
A small suggestion: there are a couple of black spots on the right side that might benefit from being lightened up slightly to keep the focus on the staircase's elegance. Overall, it's a beautifully composed shot that captures the complexity of the spiral perfectly! Posted: 11/14/2024 13:56:49
Linda, Yes the dark area is quite distracting. It may have been from someone peering over the railing wondering what I was photographing. I'll try a few more tricks to get rid of it. Thank you for your comments. Posted: 11/17/2024 19:24:30
I love your editing on this one! The black and white is striking, making the photo very interesting. I love that you can see the different sets of stair. Posted: 11/14/2024 22:25:01
Slyvia, There were quite a bit of stairs with a narrow opening for a shot. Thank you for your comments. Posted: 11/17/2024 19:26:30
This is a subject matter that I find interesting. I like the geometric shapes that come from them. The conversion to black and white was a good choice as it allows the focus to be more on the geometry of the stairway. Rotating the image to a vertical orientation is an interesting choice. I think the black in the upper right hand corner takes away a little bit of the photo, though. The original appears to have some detail in that corner, can the shadows be lifted a bit there? Keep shooting these types of stairways. Posted: 11/15/2024 00:30:40
Randy, Looks like the group consensus is to get rid of that dark area. I'm looking forward to picking up some new tricks in photoshop to remove it. Thank you for your comments. Posted: 11/17/2024 19:29:51
Yvonne - I applaud your attraction to staircases and the helix. It is one of those shapes that appears in nature and has a lot of significance. I'm drawn to Da Vinci and his use of them as well.
The black and white motif is terrific and the absence of color completely adds to the photo.
Thank you! Posted: 11/17/2024 19:38:09
The black and white motif is terrific and the absence of color completely adds to the photo.
Thank you! Posted: 11/17/2024 19:38:09
Doug, Da Vinci's double helix would be quite the challenge to photograph. Thank you for your comments. Posted: 11/18/2024 19:15:12